2020 was the year that was unlike any other. History books will write about it and its lasting effects on our society, work and personal lives. While it was a difficult year for most of the world, we can derive some poignant lessons from all of it. Let’s explore a few positive takeaways from 2020 that we can use to make 2021 a great year.
First off, we learned that plopping down in the seat of your home office daily from 8-5 and constantly being online is overrated. For those who worked from home or worked in a remote environment, it wasn’t the picture of working in your pajamas, sipping a mid-afternoon cocktail. It was your dog barking during a Zoom call, one of the kids walking into the home office unannounced, or the landscapers making noise outside.
Nothing about this year was normal—and I think businesses figured out that giving employees flexibility in their working hours was a win-win for both sides.
Second, we learned to stop feeling guilty on days where we were not our most productive; the peaks and valleys have never been more prevalent than this past year. Some days you’re firing on all cylinders, but you struggle to achieve the same level of production on others. Just remember, it’s perfectly fine and normal to experience this—even in times of normalcy.
Capitalize on the days you feel energetic and motivated. Push yourself to accomplish as much as you can. Then, when the inevitable low-motivation days come along—and they will—you can allow yourself that time and remain unstressed about production.
Lastly, and possibly the most important thing we learned in 2020, was to practice self-care. Putting work before mental health, physical health, and vacation time just isn’t the answer—more likely, it will be the main reason you experience burnout and mental or emotional exhaustion.
And just because there aren’t as many places to go on vacation doesn’t mean you don’t need the mental break from staring at a screen all day. This year, focus on ways to experience a sense of adventure while still exercising caution and safety.
If you have work you can do offscreen, try printing it out and taking it outside or somewhere more comfortable than your desk. Sitting for long periods is not recommended and can even be detrimental to your health. So, take those court transcripts or depositions to a different location than your office chair.
Try taking a day drive to nature to hike or walk. If you want to stay closer to home, create time in your schedule to take a run or a bicycle ride. If you are especially outdoorsy, consider taking more camping trips where you can soak up the sunshine and fresh air.
It’s a new year and a fresh start, so take the tough lessons you learned from 2020 and apply them to 2021 for a successful professional and personal year.