The year 2020 was off to a good start, or at least that’s how we thought it should turn out.
Are you one of those people who thought that 2020 was your year? Then, you’re not the only one. Every single person I know was hopeful at the beginning of this year. Full of promises, changes, and adventure. But we weren’t all aware of how a single crisis can change the way we live.
But if we let this year go without learning a thing or two, then how can we be sure that we won’t repeat the same mistake in the following year?
Crisis Are Always Present
The COVID-19 pandemic made us realize how scary and worrisome life is in crisis. But little did we know that the crisis has always existed. In fact, most of it is just right in front of us, yet it’s not noticeable on our part.
Maybe because we’re not involved in it, our family and closest friends aren’t affected by it, or simply because it’s not too serious for the majority of the population. But whatever the case is, crises are always present, and it will not go away.
We Learned Who The Real Heroes Are
Earlier this year, we were so focused on working and making our future a better place for our children or for the youth. But we tend to lose focus on the real heroes of our lives.
Our parents, our families, and closest friends have always been a huge support system for us since day one. They have been helping us to calm our nerves, help us cope, and assure us that everything would be okay whether we asked for help or not.
Whether the real heroes are part are the people we get along with very well or not, they make the world a better place we live in, with or without the crisis.
Cash is Relatively Important
Some people tend to neglect saving money or withdrawing enough cash for future use. They said it’s “unnecessary”, or that it would make them “materialistic”. But since most of the market has crashed, what do they have to say now?
Saving money in the future is not such a bad thing to do. In fact, 2020 made us realize how important the proper use of cash is, more than ever!
Do Your Own Research
If you are the leader of your household, it’s your responsibility to look at the clues, and believe the facts according to your own personal research.
At the beginning of the current events of the year, how did you know what was going on, and what are the safety protocols that you have to follow to ensure you, and your family’s safety?
It’s because you did proper research. Nowadays, fake news has been spreading all around, and it’s your duty, even if you live alone, to know the truth, and learn what is taking place. Do not rely on everybody else, rather rely on your own ability to research.
Not all Conspiracy Theories are Conspiracy
Every year, new theories or conspiracy theories are shared by people who think everything happens for a reason. Just like how people thought that everything would go back to normal before the year ends. Or how most people said how serious the pandemic is, and how it is affecting every industry of our lives.
If you do your research right, you’d be able to discover how some of these theories are actually right, yet most of them are not, which is quite interesting too, isn’t it?
Get Familiarize to Work Remotely
Did you know that about 88% of the organizations worldwide made it mandatory to work at home after the pandemic was declared?
Working remotely has been a huge problem for many industries because they were not prepared to send their employees back home and work from it.
But this year made us realize that we should be able to work flexibly wherever we are. We don’t know what’s going to happen later, tomorrow, and in the nearest future.
But if we’re someone who holds accountable for our own business, or an employee who controls their own time, we should get used to complete our tasks, and work away from the office.
Audit your business model to make it pandemic proof
The COVID-19 may not be the only pandemic to hit us years from now. In fact, people of the past had experienced another pandemic crisis back then. And some businesses, we’re able to start ahead and make adjustments to continue running.
As we learn the process of living in the new normal, we should also adjust our approach in the business.
If we sell drinks for a living, then why not create a free delivery option for those who want to order but cannot get out of the house. If you are a retail store, why not create a website where people can see your new products?
The key? Examine how your business model can make adjustments to make it a pandemic proof if another one hits us several years from now.
Don’t Let Emotional People Handle Your Important Decision
A lot of families and businesses had been screwed up just because a person drove the decision based entirely on his emotion. But they are the worst people to assign the interest to anything you’re involved in.
These people tend to panic a lot, and decide things immediately without doing proper research, or thinking about it thoroughly. They thought it’s the end of the world or something. In the end, you’re going to be affected by how bad they make decisions. So don’t let them do it for you.
Predicting the Future is a Risky Move
Everybody, or at least every obedient person we know, follows safety protocols to ensure their safety such as wearing a mask or social distancing. But before quarantine, many experts believed that the virus isn’t airborne so one shouldn’t wear any protection.
Yet, a few months later, these experts admitted that wearing masks, face shields, and following other safety guidelines would actually make much difference!
See what happens here? Even experts can make mistakes. So predicting what you’re going to do in the future, predicting your decision in the future is a risky move.
The Power of Media
Nowadays, most people cannot get out of the house and choose to stay at home. Actually, that’s not a bad thing to do. But at home, people rely more on the media to see what is happening outside, or what does the government have to say or do something about the present crisis.
Even though the media has been powerful for the longest time, they are more powerful now than ever! This leads us to another brand, social media.
Power of Social Media
It took one lady to capture footage of what happened to George Floyd that made everyone react with madness! I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but have you noticed how social media can control other people’s emotions, and thinking ability?
Not just that, in fact, if you’ve watched Netflix’s original documentary called Social Dilemma, you’ll see the most unexpected facts about the use of technology, and how social media contributes to it.
Power of Emotional Reaction
Just like the succeeding three points, emotional reaction plays a vital role in society. Imagine driving home to receive a text from your brother saying mean things to you just because they were angry!
But what if your brother didn’t hold that phone to text you? What if he let himself cool down, and wait for about 30 minutes before saying something or making a decision? Would it make a difference?
Life is Fickle
We all woke up one day and heard the news that Kobe Bryant, or “The Black Mamba”, along with his daughter Gigi, and other important people they’re with died in a plane crash.
See, one day everything is great, and the next day everything can change because life is fickle, it is most likely to change in a snap of a finger.
This is why it’s important to enjoy life now and make the most out of your time staying at home, and spending time with your family. Because you’ll never know when you’d be able to do what you’re really passionate about and care about in the future.
Don’t Wait for Another Crisis to Happen Before….
This life lesson is quite general. It’s in your hands what your next step or next move should be.
Don’t wait for another crisis to happen before you can figure out what you like to do, before making use of your time in the most productive way, before changing the world.
Always be prepared weeks, months, and years from now, even if that means having no specific idea of what is about to happen. Just like what most people say, “expect the unexpected”.
Always ask yourself, “What are you gonna do next?”.
There’s always a silver lining in every situation in life. These are the 14 lessons I learned in 2020 helped me to get a new perspective, get the best out of my time, and plan my next move. What about you, what else have you learned this year?
