As difficult as 2020 was for most of us, we learned a lot about adversity and how we cope with it. This means that 2021 is an opportunity to take what we’ve learned and make lasting changes for a better future. We all know that 2020 is not a year we’d like to repeat. Now is a good time to think about what went wrong and what went right. It’s time to take control of our lives by clearing a new, better path.
Are you taking the steps to make this a better year??
One of the greatest impacts that 2020 had on our lives was on our basic, day-to-day routines. By staying at home more, we didn’t have the time with our friends we’re used to. With so many businesses unable to open, we lost jobs and had to re-examine our finances. By dealing with a pandemic, civil unrest, and a difficult election all at once, we had to face our mental health and how we deal with stress head-on. With so much more time spent living life in a new way, we were all forced to think about life in a new way.
In a “normal” year, we don’t necessarily examine our mental health, eating habits, or financial habits so closely as we did in 2020, but that’s not a bad thing.
If you found that you dealt with stress by eating poorly, the new year provides the chance to acknowledge your behavior and make a positive change! Did you discover that you need to learn to make a budget to deal with an uncertain financial situation? Did you learn that too much time on social media had a negative effect on your mental health? Think about the insights that you can learn from the worst parts of 2020 and consider 2021 the reset button for starting a new way of life with new habits.
There will be a lot of talk in 2021 about a “return to normal.” But when we think about what we learned from 2020, perhaps our old normal involved bad habits that we never knew we had. That’s why the path to a brighter, happier future isn’t just a return to normal. Instead, it could be the beginning of a new, more positive way of life, including the things we’d like to change. Maybe that means starting a new career, taking control of your health, or making a financial plan for your future.
Whatever you’ve learned from 2020,
here’s to embracing a new path in the new year!