Important Reflections to Make Before 2021

2020 is clinging on by a thread and I have no doubt in my mind that we are all more than ready to see the back of it.

Even so, I think it’s important to take some time out to reflect on the past year.

It’s tempting to rush in with welcoming a new year and setting ALL THE GOALS.

But in order to do that successfully, we need to take some time out to acknowledge the past 12 months. Even if it was 90% shitstorm.

Here are some important reflections to make before 2021.

We Survived

If 2020 taught you anything it should be about resilience.

We are so much stronger than we give ourselves credit for.

We’ve lost jobs, income and a sense of normality. Some of us have even lost friends and loved ones.

The world will undoubtedly look different when we come out the other side.

But we have gotten this far and we will get through the tough months ahead too.

No One Could’ve Forseen This

When we started 2020 we might’ve set lofty goals for ourselves.

Paying off £x amount of debt, saving £x amount of money, buying a house… whatever it might’ve been.

And in a lot of cases those things didn’t happen, you might not have even come close.

But don’t beat yourself up about lack of progress or a wasted year.

Don’t criticise yourself because you’re not in the position you thought you’d be in.

No one saw this coming. I certainly didn’t see myself being made redundant well… ever, it just wasn’t on my radar.

This year has been way beyond anything we were capable of controlling as individuals. So lose the pressure on yourself and give yourself a clean break.

It’s Okay to Slow Down

For many of us, our 20s and 30s are a time when we’re trying to do it all.

Climb the career ladder, buy our first homes, travel the world… juggling our social and family lives with the constant desire to show everyone just how BUSY and PRODUCTIVE we are.

Well 2020 certainly changed that. I for one, am no longer striving to be constantly DOING.

I’m slowing down and appreciating what’s truly important. Materialism just isn’t the priority it used to be.

Slow Progress is Still Progress

It sounds cliché, sure. But even the tiniest amount of progress is still edging you closer to that long term goal.

Don’t write off this past year just because you feel like it wasn’t enough progress, or even if you feel like you’ve gone backwards.

Sit down and make a list of what you did achieve this year. No matter how big or small.

I think you’ll be surprised just how much you did.

Go Forward with Realistic Optimism

There is nothing wrong with hoping for better times. But the truth is, there are probably still some tough months ahead of us.

Don’t go into your New Year’s goal setting with massively ambitious goals to make up for 2020.

Take it easy and be gentle with yourself. I’m not saying not to dream big, but realise that outside factors have more of an impact than we ever thought possible.