Sorry if this post is already long overdue but I still want to share some of my thoughts for 2020 and some goals I have for 2021. Anyway, it’s still January so I hope my post still counts.

I thought 2020 was supposed to be my year. I was doing well in the first couple of months then COVID-19 happened and everything were put on hold. We were all caught by surprise; unprepared for the adverse effects of the virus which spread all over the world like wild fire. We were placed under community quarantine (lockdown for some) for a few months, jobs and businesses were disrupted, a lot of people lost their jobs and source of income, lost their loved ones due to the pandemic, lost their motivation, and our economy has been deeply strained. Everything was so chaotic that it was hard to find the silver lining out of anything.

The first few months were filled with anxiety as we all swam in the pool of uncertainty. Being stuck at home not knowing when our normal lives would resume, questioning if I had enough savings to pull me through, worrying about the survival of my small business (which is still in its start-up phase), I cannot seem to shake off my mental anguish.

If there was any consolation, 2020 was not just about bad memories. I have gained appreciation for the simple things that I would often neglect and overlook. I’ve learned new things and valuable lessons that I know I’ll carry with me for the years to come.

2020 REFLECTIONS

Simple realizations

Having a lot of free time gave me moments sit down and reflect about my life, the direction I’m currently going, and assess if it was really the life road I want to pursue. I have learned to value the importance of my income and life savings. Although it was an obvious and no-brainer thing to think about, I was able to realize its importance specially during pandemic. Last year, I didn’t have any source of income for months. I wasn’t only thinking about myself then because I also have one employee that I needed to sustain. I was thankful that I paid off all my debts (a year before) and was able to save a decent amount to survive my lack of income.

I also learned the importance of having a side hustle. I thought of having two side hustles during my life in quarantine as it would better prepare me in case of emergencies.

Finding light in the darkness

They say that however dark the cloud, there’s always a silver lining. For months that I was stuck at home, my anxiety almost consumed me. I had so much time to kill thus my mind was working overtime thinking about things that made me go bonkers. Luckily, I was able to find a way to overcome my anxiety by means of honing my creativity. I have always been creative growing up but as I got older, my priorities changed which made me set aside (and somehow neglected) my talent for a very long time.

1. Bullet Journaling – I started bullet journaling even before the pandemic; and even if I haven’t used my bullet journal during the lockdown, I would still fill it up with colorful designs and even wrote some wonderful quotes that would spark inspiration. It was a relaxing and very entertaining thing to do.
2. Handmade Greeting Cards – I found simple joy in making personalized greeting cards for family and friends. I’ve been collecting countless colored markers, pens, and other coloring materials for a while now and I found a fun way to use them by making greeting cards.
3. Digital Art – My biggest splurge (or should I say investment) last year was my iPad. I bought an iPad Pro last year because I wanted to dip my fingers in the world of digital art. I’ve been following a lot of artists on Instagram and seeing their works inspired me to do the same. I also wanted to design my own stationeries this year.

Learning opportunity

I came across a post on LinkedIn one time regarding entrepreneurs maximizing their time during the pandemic by honing their skills, learning new things, reading books, and attending online classes that would help them with their businesses. It gave me an idea to do the same.

1. Learning a new language – I’m already bilingual but there was always a part of me that wanted more. I had so much free time in my hands during the lockdown and my love for watching countless k-dramas made me decide to learn Hangul. I bought the book, Korean For All by Soo Kim. to start my journey to learn the Korean language. The lessons are divided to different chapters and complete with exercises so it was very easy to follow plus the illustrations are really cute. Also, I downloaded an app called Drops which I access for a minimum of 15 minutes everyday. It is free but you can also avail of the premium membership to unlock unlimited time free of ads.
2. Gaining new and honing the old – Later part of last year, I decided to subscribe to Skillshare – an online learning community which offers thousands of classes for topics such as design, photography, illustration, freelancing, and a lot more. It’s a fun way to learn without leaving the comforts of home. It became my quarantine buddy since I was very much invested in learning digital art.
3. Listening to podcasts – I used to get bored with podcasts because I’m more of a visual being; I like videos and pictures better. After listening to a few podcast topics from The Bossbabe Podcast, I realized that podcasts are also a fun way to learn and be informed.

2021 GOALS

I closed the doors of 2020 with a hopeful heart; and I welcomed the new year with optimism. I carried the lessons of the past and thrilled to set new goals for this year.

Admittedly, I’m bad at making resolutions. I will attempt to do them for a few weeks or so then I’m back with my old habits. I have a problem with consistency so I’m not doing the resolutions this year rather I have set a vision board with realistic goals for myself. As of writing, I’m still completing my vision board for 2021. I will try to share it once I’m done.

I have divided my goals into sections and only listed one to two items per section. This year, I’ll only focus on a few priorities so no more long list for me as I tend to get overwhelmed when I put more pressure on myself.

GOAL CATEGORIES:

Personal – Make more time for personal development by attending online classes or training. Prioritize what’s best for my growth.

Business – Expand my business by growing my fleet (of equipment) and generate a better income than the previous year. Also, to open an online stationery shop (side hustle).

Financial – Make another time deposit and increase personal savings; Review the budget breakdown for my existing business.

Health – Schedule for tooth surgery; Regular check-up; Continue the treatment for my metabolism.

I made my goals simple and somehow generic. No more very specific goals like workout 3-4 times a week or meditate everyday, etc. I know it’s not that ideal but I easily get disheartened whenever I missed my schedule for a few times, so this year I opted for a simplified approach. I did set figures on some of my goals like the amount I want to save up by the end of the year and a ballpark figure of the income I want to earn. I made a review of my previous income and just added a few percent to give me an idea of what I wanted to hit. I have actually set a conservative, mid, and a slightly ambitious figures for my goals just to prepare for what lies ahead.

How are you all doing? Have you started your goals this year? Share them with me in the comments. Hope you are all doing well. I’ll see you in my next post.