Reflecting on 2020: Exploring lessons learned

And so we come to the end of what has been a memorable year!

We are already reaching the end of 2020! I feel like this year is over and I am still processing March. And at the same time, I have to admit that a million things have happened simultaneously. It has been a time of pain, reflection, frustration, and growth. There are still experiences, decisions, and emotions that I have not processed, and with which I will eventually have to sit with. And even though many people are considering erasing this year from their lives (I have felt that way at times, I have to confess), the truth is that 2020 has left us with learnings. Some that we did not ask for, some that we do not understand, and others that we appreciate. And as we face the closing of this year, and while we allow ourselves to feel a little hope for the next, I would like to share some questions to help us reflect:

Reflections for 2020

• What have you lost this year? Have you allowed yourself to live this duel? How have you honored what has gone and been grateful for what has come? Reminder: We can cry and thank at the same time. This is valid.

• How have you connected with your purpose this year? If you feel like you’ve lost your purpose, how can you allow yourself to be curious about what you want to achieve and do with your life? It’s okay not to have THE answer, allow yourself to dream and create.

• How have you contributed to your community? Sometimes we want to measure the impact of our person through numbers, followers, or achievements. And while all of this is welcome, it is not a true measure of what we bring into the world. Who did you call? Who did you give advice to? Who did you make at least one day happy? Who did you console? All this is change and helps to strengthen your community (be it family, friends, your followers on Instagram, or the people who work with you).

• How have you grown emotionally, psychologically, or spiritually? You don’t have to be the wisest or strongest person now. Even just having a little hope after the end of the year is enough.

A VERY useful tool: Reframing

Something that has also helped me this year is to reframe my past goals. When I say reframing, I mean to change the perspective that we give to some things. In this link, you can read a little more about it. I’ll give you an example: One of my goals this year was wellness, and I thought it would look like going to the gym regularly, having a super healthy and stable routine, among other things. And of course, that didn’t happen this year, and I was frustrated. Now, through reframing that goal, I see that my well-being is that I am still alive and well, being able to sleep and surviving a pandemic to the best of my ability.

How about you? Do you have a 2020 goal that you want to reframe in a way that highlights your strengths?

If this post helped you in any way, made you reflect, or opened space for new questions, I would love to hear from you.