Let’s make peace with 2020! It was a challenging year but hard times drive the growth and the change, forcing us to adjust to new realities. 2020 definitely took us out of our comfort zone. We learnt to be more resilient and to look for happiness in more meaningful ways.
As far as I’m concerned, 2020 helped me realize the importance of having my extended family closer, as well as living in a strong community. Moreover, I learnt how important is the connection with nature for a fulfilled life.
Also, looking on the "Future of jobs report 2020" there is an important skills gap that we need to cover for the next 5 years. The main skills we need to work on are: critical thinking and analysis, problem-solving and self-management (active learning, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility).
In this context I find that 2020 obliged us to start working on our self-management skills. 2020 imposed new life and work styles and hence growing our resilience and flexibility. It forced us to have a better self-management after all. We all lived the last 9 months with the hope that eventually what we are going through will come to an end. There is no other way! We suffered by losing people we might know or even members of our families, by losing our liberties, by changing the meaning of “normal life”.. but we knew we will see better days!
Self-management is about all that. Self-management gives us the strength to overcome adversity and to move on with our lives. It will not make us see “la vie en rose” but it will definitely help us recover from difficult moments in our personal or professional lives.
2021 comes as a continuity regarding self-management. The COVID-19 context is not over yet, but the vaccine comes as a tiny little light we see at the end of the tunnel. Let’s use it in our favor!
Here are some tips on how we can continue improving our resilience, flexibility and stress tolerance in 2021:
Connecting with people: this is not about the time we spend with others, but about the openness we have to active listening the person we talk to. It’s about meaningful discussions, about common interests and affinities. Connecting with people in a meaningful way will make us feel part of a community. And it will have direct effects on our resilience too.
Nurturing wellbeing: “Mens sana in corpore sano” is not just a motto, it’s a fact. Proper sleep, balanced nutrition, regular exercise, hydration are important parts of a positive lifestyle with strong effects on self-management.
Finding purpose in our lives: what are your resolutions for 2021? Setting up achievable and clear goals for the near future will give us direction, will empower us and increase the sense of self-worth. Did you think of helping others, being proactive or looking for opportunities for self-discovery as objectives for this year?
Avoiding negative thoughts and potential sources of sadness and negativity such as media, TV, social media, alcohol, etc. Embrace healthy thoughts by putting things into perspective (there is always a situation worse than what you are going through), accept change (it will bring in an upgraded self), learn from your past (“compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today”, Jordan B. Peterson).
What is your purpose in 2021? How do you intend to continue your personal development? What changes are you ready to do to impact the world in a positive manner?
In need for support in answering this questions? Contact me!
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