You know what I miss? "Precedented" times. I've heard the word "unprecedented" more in the last 10 months than I ever had during my whole life.
This word infiltrated our vernacular and took on a life of its own. It's as if all of us were under the impression that pre-2020 we were living in "precedented" times of certainty, safety and stability.
We were all kidding ourselves. Uncertainty is always bubbling below the surface, even when we feel like life is at its most stable, and I think 2020 was the jolt we all needed to realise that.
It's the year everyone wants to forget, but I think it's the one we should all remember and learn from.
As we work to return to "normality", make sure you go back in equipped to deal with the next upheaval that will come around (and it will!) with these five powerful life lessons we should all hang on to in 2021 and beyond:
- In life there are no guarantees: Like I said, certainty doesn't really exist and believing that it does will lure you into a false sense of security. Adapting to change is a skill we all need to master. Learning to anticipate that life will take unexpected turns will give you the resilience you need to respond to change in the most productive way you can.
- Life plans get derailed, focus on habits instead: It doesn't matter how solid your life plans are, there's always a high chance that things won't play out the way you expect them to because of forces that are out of your control. But what we do have is control over the actions we take on a daily basis. Don't just rely on grand plans - create positive habits that will lead you step-by-step towards the success you dream of and show up every day as the person who will make it happen.
- You are your best investment: There's no safer bet than betting on yourself. Sure, the failures will be yours to bear, but so will the successes. So many of us are led to believe that we need to put the fate of our lives, careers and success in the hands of other people or companies; but no one has your back like you do. Believe in yourself, unleash your potential and take responsibility for the story you write throughout your life. In other words, take control and don't just leave things to fate.
- Acquire knowledge and skill, not things: For many of us, materialistic tendencies had spiralled out of control pre-lockdown. But suddenly, fancy clothes, cars and accessories don't mean so much anymore! The most valuable things you can ever acquire in life are knowledge and skill. Learning shouldn't end after school, in fact, the more you devote yourself to becoming a life-long learner, the better chance you give yourself to become a higher earner.
- Pursue your goals and the things that matter to you: There's this amazing quote by the actor Jim Carrey that goes: "You can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take the chance of doing what you love." Too many of us never even set any exciting goals for ourselves. We drift aimlessly from day to day, consumed by trivialities that don't make a difference in the grand scheme of things. From this year onwards, why not dream up some exciting goals? Give yourself the freedom to pursue the passions and ideas that give your life purpose and meaning.
Life is happening as we speak, this is no dress rehearsal. But rather than letting life happen to us, we can make life happen for us. 2020 was the big reset, the chance to start over stronger, better and smarter. We are living in unprecedented times, yes, but unprecedented also means new opportunities and new perspectives. Become the hero on a mission. Write a new, more exciting storyline for your life - the pen and the power is in your hands.