The Favourite Year Of My Life-2021
Years from now we are going to say- …….2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022…..
Hey, hold on you missed one- 2020
Oh no, we don’t talk about that one.
But today, I want to talk about this year in particular.
2020 started for me just like any other year- lots of resolutions made that lasted for a whole of 2 months. That’s the longest that any of my resolutions have lasted.
Who knew these were going to be the least of the concerns!
Soon, world got hit by the biggest pandemic- COVID-19.
I had just returned from my girl’s trip in Goa. When we had planned this trip, we had no idea that this was the last of the outing that we are going to see in this entire year. Initially, the pandemic didn’t mean much to me personally. I don’t mean that I didn’t get the seriousness of the issue, what I mean is that I wasn’t much affected personally with it, thankfully nor was my family.
And then came the phases.
Phase-I : The Denial
This started from the month of April. I was already on notice period in my current job as we were supposed to relocate to Bengaluru before Corona hit. I was in my honeymoon period of the job. And wasn’t looking for any new job due to uncertainty of my location.
I wasn’t accepting that my lack of judgement and assessing the job market would put me in a complex web of unemployment.
I was in denial that the crisis was about to hit. A lot of scholars were predicting it but I was sure it wouldn’t affect me.
Phase-II : The Blaming
The denial consumed 2 months of life and the entire space in my head. I was gradually bottling up with all the emotions of being restricted to human interaction, monotonous daily routine, and aimless living- a disastrous recipe for an overthinking mind and an introverted personality. Many would argue that introverts were the happiest to be officially locked indoors and cut off from human interactions. But this is not even remotely true. Introverts are not overtly expressive and over-enthusiastic talkers but need our friends too. I may not like to talk too much but I loved seeing my colleagues every day who just wouldn’t shut up and distract me every 10 mins in the office. I missed all that as now I had to voluntarily initiate conversations and interactions digitally. Now, this something introverts don’t like.
Hence, I did what I could best at that time. I blamed everyone and anything around me for my deteriorating mental health.
Phase-III : Depression
There was exhaustion on all levels- physical, mental, emotional, and financial. The savings were running thin, there was no domestic help and all house chores were to be done. This wasn’t a big deal but with a pre-schooler at home all the time, I was now a full-time maid and part-time mom. I could barely make it to shower before lunchtime. The only time I could sit and rest was an hour’s nap time that my son had. Performing multiple roles took its toll and I started slipping into depression and anxiety. I lost self-worth since I had no job. No interview calls were coming in which made me doubt my potential and I lost my confidence.
It was a dark place.
Phase-IV : Acceptance
Thankfully, I realized the slip before it was too late. It was now October and I knew that I have work on myself more than anything. This is the year that I finally take action to work on my mental, spiritual, and physical health as this is the greatest wealth.
With acceptance came lots of clarity, hope, and sense of purpose. 2020 became the year that I started meditation and incorporated it into my everyday life and I can see where I would like to go and what I would like to achieve.
Phase-V : Action
By November, I got a grip on myself and had a lot to achieve before the year ended. I have actually taken a full circle where I started with purpose in January and by November I have rediscovered my purpose. This year has been remarkable in every sense. Most of all, this year made me grow as a person and made me closer to my real self.
Some of the highlights of this year are-
1. worked on my mental health
2. discovered spirituality
3. better goal visualization
4. rejuvenated mind & body
5. irreplaceable family time
This is not all, some of the lessons that I learned are-
1. Pause, think and appreciate
2. Rework your goals if you fail
3. Layout an action plan
4. Get to work
5. Appreciate your efforts and prepare to work harder
Finally, 2020 has prepared me for the new year 2021 and made me stronger in every sense. This year pushed me to grow out of my shell and grow bigger in personality and get ready for the next challenge to come. Hence, I am sure, 2021 will turn out to be my favorite year.
