This article is a bit late. Late by almost a month. I was planning on writing this article at the end of December but then life inconveniently got in the way.

A shoulder injury sidelined me and almost all of my work — writing included. Of course, seeing how the year 2020 has gone [or went I should say] it really didn’t phase me.

I’ve learned to go with the flow and 2020 was not a year to force things. So here we are.

Anyway, these are the 12 lessons I learned in 2020, or in some cases, I should say re-learned. A wild year full of ups and downs yet lateral, and seemingly idle days.

---

12 Lessons I Learned in 2020

1. You can only push so hard — I started the year with massive determination. And besides working a ton of hours, things were going pretty well — until the pandemic. But what I realized was that when everything slowed down, I was burned out. In fact, deep down, I was relieved and welcomed the transition to working from home. 2020 turned out to be a massive break from the rat race. A massive break that many — myself included — didn’t know they needed. If there has ever been a year that taught us to slow down, at least in my lifetime, 2020 was that year. It’s surprising that someone like me, who preaches living a slower-paced life, needs an occasional reminder to take things one day at a time.

2. Go with the flow — You can try and force things. This is what I was trying to do at the beginning of the year, but sometimes, you just have to go with the flow. I, like many others, had no idea what 2020 was going to bring, or how it was going to end up. There are times, we should sit back and see what happens. Relax and see where life takes us.

3. Most disasters happen slowly — We’ve seen the movies where a deadly plague hits and most of humanity is wiped out within a few days. Well. I guess that’s not the case. I had never thought about disasters and the speed at which they unfold. Many crises aren’t fast and shocking but slow, methodic, and sometimes painful. As I stated in the article 50 Life-Changing Ideas — “Most things presented as urgent rarely are.”

4. The end isn’t always in sight — There are things we have to go through with no clear ending point. No light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. But the tunnel is part of the journey and it’s important to reflect on the moment. Regardless of how dark things are, dawn is always coming. The point being: Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.

5. Always be mindful of busyness — Busyness creeps up on us. What starts out as meaningful productivity can spin out of control and end up as useless busyness. 2020, more than any other year, taught me to recognize this. Busyness was an easy trap to fall into while working from home. Whenever I caught myself working on things that didn’t matter I would stop and re-examine my intentions. In the words of Seth Godin — “There are no points for being busy.”

6. Making changes — Deep down, there are changes that we know we need to make. Parts of our lives that make us unhappy and are unsustainable. Make those changes before your circumstances make them for you. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your time. There were changes that I was forced to make this year that have improved my life. I feel like a fool for not making them sooner.

7. Make decisions fast — 2020 brought up some new and tough decisions. Decisions about the future of my brick-and-mortar business along with how I plan to live my life going forward. The lesson of the year was to make decisions and make them fast. There’s nothing wrong with being idle — but you can’t tread water forever — you’ll get tired and drown.

8. The universe always gives you what you need — I needed to slow down. I needed some alone time for quiet reflection. 2020 gave me all of those things and everything else I could have possibly required. No matter what happens, it would seem to me, that we always have exactly what we need. There is always enough.

9. You need to save yourself — 2020 was a not-so-gentle reminder that no one is going to save you. There is no one coming to your rescue and you need to save yourself. Small businesses and people dependent on their government learned this lesson well. I think we all did.

10. People always show you who they are — In fact, they already have. If you’re thinking that someone will change, you’re wrong. People don’t change for others — they only change for themselves. Accept this fact.

11. You can make great memories — You can make a memorable experience, even in the most boring of circumstances. I turned 40 years old in December of 2020. There was no extraordinary vacation to the Bahamas, no surprise birthday party [thank goodness], and no fancy dinner out. But, after a dare from my son, I did die my hair bright pink, had a great dinner with my family, and woke up the next morning to over 2 feet of unexpected snow — effectively causing a snow day. My 40th birthday was the most memorable birthday I’ve ever had, all amongst boringness.

12. Years turn into decades — It’s 2021 and not much has changed. The pandemic is still going on and so are we. It’s nice to think that a new year will bring about a new landscape but that’s not the case. Years are symbolic of the time that has passed but that’s about it. A new year won’t make much of a difference in our lives. That’s up to us.