Where were you when the world changed? Do you remember how it felt? They have been many events in history that have shaped the course of our lives. Those events could have been on a larger or shorter scale. When everything shifts and your perception changes. Those moments move us in a direction we never thought would ever happen. There are a few life lessons I learned in 2020.

However, few moments in history can change the course on a global scale. In 2020, a different tune was sung. As a virus spread throughout the globe and the world went into lockdown, the world was still. We watched as the world we loved came to a halt. Shops closed. Travel stopped. Companies closed down. And home-schooling became a critical point in our lives. We all learned invaluable lessons in 2020. Many of us have carried those teachings with us. Our world changed. How could we forget how it changed our lives? We couldn’t. For months, we watched our four walls, praying for answers, and now we’re in 2021.

It’s a new year and so much has changed. In this blog, I will discuss what life lessons I learned last year. As we go into the second quarter of the year, carry these life lessons with you. It will help you move forward a lot quicker in 2021. Not only that, but you understand that often the lessons we learn pivot us to greater heights. 

No guarantees

Many of us take advantage of the time we have. The experiences that have formed us. We never take these things into consideration. Every experience has shaped you into who you are today. Why not take advantage of that? Tomorrow isn’t a guarantee as much as we think it will be. We need to stop living as if we have all the time in the world. All your dreams can come to a crashing halt. 2020 happened, and it changed things for me. I realized that life is precious. Any second or moment can slip away. Why not go after what you want today? Why not start a business today? 

This life lesson I learned made me realize tomorrow isn’t a guarantee, but today is. Take full advantage of what you have and make the best out of it. Follow your dreams and your heart wherever it takes you.

Invest in yourself

Invest in yourself. This is one of the life lessons I learned in 2020. If you didn’t do this, then you need to learn how to. In the beginning, investing in yourself won’t be easy. In time it will get easier. One thing you should realize is that you matter. What you do matters. If you want to improve yourself, then you should invest.

What are your dreams? The things you wanted to achieve in 2020. Pick up a few books. Buy a course. Learn a new skill. Travel when it becomes safer to do so. Invest in yourself. Why? Because you matter, and if you want to have a good life, invest in yourself. This will push the needle forward. 

 Also Related: How to Invest in Yourself

Have hobbies

Many of us see hobbies as stupid activities. Life can get hard. If that’s the case, then you need your dopamine levels increased. By doing that, your stress will be reduced. This is a great life lesson I had in 2020. Have four hobbies. One that enriches your life, or that makes you money. One that can exercise your creativity and imagination. Hobbies that can keep you moving and hobbies that help you engage in learning. 

There are many benefits to hobbies. It is great for your mental wellbeing and can help bring a sense of satisfaction to your life. People who have hobbies are happier than those who don’t. People who have hobbies are also more successful than those that don’t. Why? Because having hobbies can give you a sense of purpose and relief. It can help you understand life and yourself better. Once you do that, you’ll be in a better place than most people. 

Pursue your goals

 We all have dreams, but many of us don’t go after what we want. One of the best life lessons I learned in 2020 is it matters to go after your dreams. Dreams fuel you and give you a purpose. Life is precious. There are 365 days in a year. 12 months in a year. 48 weeks. Go after what you want and you do that. There’s enough time to discover what you want to do.

You can’t guarantee anything. If that’s the case, then why not put both feet forward? Pursue your goals and dreams. Go wherever they take you. One thing that I’ve realized is that if you don’t go after what you want, you’ll regret it. Life lessons make us wiser. They’re supposed to guide us, so we make better decisions. 

Face your fears and do it anyway

We all have fears. Many of us learned this life lesson in 2020. We had to face our fears as the world came to a standstill and everything we thought we knew stopped. Everything that we thought we understood became a mystery. Numerous questions were asked. When would the world become normal? What would happen a month or three months from now? Would we live to see Christmas?

Then everything became normal. Quarantine was no longer strange. Still, we held onto the fear. You might know this quote well, “feel fear and do it anyway.” Fear is something that can’t be controlled. You will be afraid of a lot of things. That doesn’t matter. Why? Because it’s normal. There’ll be things you will be afraid of and if you let it affect you it won’t stop. There’ll always be things you will be afraid. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Let that be your mantra for life and allow it to sink in. Alter the way you look at life. This life lesson is important because it will push you. Allow it to. 

Also Related: How to be Fearless by Doing it Anyway

Cherish your relationships

We all have fears. Many of us learned this life lesson in 2020. We had to face our fears as the world came to a standstill and everything we thought we knew stopped. Everything that we thought we understood became a mystery. Many questions were asked. When would the world become normal? What would happen a month or three months from now? Would we live to see Christmas?

Then everything became normal. Quarantine was no longer strange. Still, we held onto the fear. You might know this well, “feel fear and do it, anyway.” Fear is something that can’t be controlled. You will be afraid of a lot of things. That doesn’t matter. Why? Because it’s normal. There’ll be things you will be afraid of and if you let it affect you, it won’t stop. There’ll always be things you will be afraid of. Feel the fear and do it, anyway. Let that be your mantra for life and allow it to sink in. Alter the way you look at life. This life lesson is important because it will push you. Allow it to. 

Have numerous side-hustles

Side-hustles will help elevate you. There are many side-hustle ideas. Why struggle to pay your bills? Most entrepreneurs or successful people have many side-hustles. This isn’t part of their principal business. If you are looking at becoming an entrepreneur, you can start a side-hustle. With time, then grow it into a fully fledged company. This is one of the life lessons I learned in 2020.

Not everything has to be clear in the beginning. Sometimes it takes time for things to concretize. What you must do is start small then grow your brand or company, What counts is your idea. There are so many things you can do with that. 

Also Related: Quick Side-Hustle Ideas to Start at Home

Take care of yourself

I remember someone once said to me that self-worth and health once gone are hard to get back. This is so true. Did you know it takes much more effort to combat the negative words you tell yourself? It takes five positive affirmations to change one negative belief. That’s how much power negativity has.

This is one of the best life lessons I learned in 2020. Take care of yourself. Your self-worth and your health. Once your health is affected, getting back on track will be challenging. Many of us never consider this. We take advantage of this, but once it’s gone, it will difficult getting back what you lost. So many people lost a lot of things in 2020. Everything we have we need to appreciate because when it’s gone it will be hard to accept.

Count your blessings

You are blessed. We live in an incredible time. Yes, there are problems. But every time had its own problems. Think of any time and you will realize it came with opportunities, but also disadvantages. Count your blessings. Every day is a blessing. The people in your life are blessings. The fact you can go after your dreams is a blessing. Cherish the moment and appreciate that you can go after what you want.

Even if life is hard, look at your blessings. Why? Gratitude will make you realize that they’re so many things in your life you should appreciate. It will also help you see opportunities. If you focus on the negative, that’s all you will see. If you focus on the negatives, you will complain about what you don’t have. This is a life lesson I learned in 2020. One that many of us need to learn. The reason people complain is that they focus on the problems. If you appreciate your life, this will push you to find solutions to your problems. There’s always an answer.

Enjoy the journey

Enjoy the journey. Life is a process. A road that we travel on with many routes and you will wander on the wrong route. That might take you on a journey you never wanted. That makes life exciting. We all take routes that we never thought we would take, but something happens. A powerful discovery. We meet people we never thought we ever would meet. We see the world from a new perspective. From the time I was ten, my favorite saying is that everything happens for a reason.

That’s true. Everything happens for a reason. There’s a reason you went down that road. Maybe you don’t know the answers now, but you will. What you need to understand is that enjoying the journey will impart wisdom. You will discover things about yourself that you never thought possible. It all starts with one road. One route. Enjoy discovering what makes you happy and your purpose. This is a life lesson we all need to learn. Enjoy the process. 

 Also Related: Why You Shouldn’t Let Your Past Define You

What is your main takeaway from this and what life lessons affected you the most. Please comment below.

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                                                             Vanessa