9 Lessons learned in 2020 – Life Lessons learned surviving Pandemic Life

9 Lessons learned in 2020

Hello there! I am back from hiatus, and it is a brand-new year and a fresh start. At least, that is what I tell myself. If you have been following my blog since the beginning, you know I live in the United States, and well…it has been quite chaotic times. I have learned some valuable lessons in 2020 and hope to carry those lessons forward.

Last year was a pivotal year for many reasons, socially, politically, and personally. With the start of a new year, I had to reflect on what I wanted to do differently in 2021. I want this year to be better than the last and take heed to lessons learned to grow wiser and more skilled in areas I want to explore. So with that said, I’ll share 9 lessons learned in 2020 that will help me this year and beyond.

So, I am sure you are asking yourself, Kamira, what do you mean? What have you been up to?

But First…

To move forward with a plan, I must remember the lessons learned from the past. So, what lessons have I learned?

1. Do not take your health for granted

One of the most important lessons learned in 2020, with the onset of the pandemic and my mother’s death last year, was not to take your health for granted. Tomorrow is not promised to us. The simple act of being able to breathe deeply should be acknowledged as a gift.

I have made it my goal to practice mindfulness regarding my health and wellness. Mainly my goal is to get back into my beginner yoga practice. It helped me with deep breathing and recovering from my knee injury. I noticed, with time and patience, started to see great results in my flexibility and strength.

Beginner yoga is a great starting point once you have fallen off the wagon. Can I get a witness? This COVID quarantine does nothing for my figure!

Most important, do not let a day go by without telling your loved ones you love them while they are here. Tomorrow is not promised. I am grateful to have learned that lesson in my own life before it was too late.

2. Secondly, I look forward to adopting/fostering again.

I long to have paws in the house as soon as COVID-19 has subsided. As you know, I am a cat person and was a mom to two wonderful furkids, Precious and Dusty, who have since earned their angel wings.

After Dusty’s death, I delved into the world of fostering cats with my local nonprofit, People for Animals in North Jersey. It was a wonderful experience. And then I got injured, so I could not be fully mobile to care for the fosters I wanted. As soon as a new foster was on the horizon, COVID-19 came. And thus, here we are.

Keeping extra food and necessities in the house in spaces usually dedicated to my fosters has put my fostering duties on hold. However, this year, my mission is to return to saving lives through fostering.

3. Focus on mental self-care is just as important.

It is essential to take a mental break for your sanity and well-being. One of the lessons learned in 2020 that resonated with me was taking time off for personal self-care. Last year, the news media, social injustices, and unforeseen personal life events taught me to remember to take care of myself.

We must remember to pause and take time out for our well-being. I think the mental health of everyone will be a big trend in the coming months and years post-COVID-19 due to the amount of stress, anxiety, and depression many face as a result of the pandemic. The aftermath of this illness has yet to be seen. If we can acknowledge that this is something to come, we can be better prepared to deal with mental health issues when they arise.

So, what things have I planned for this year and beyond to stay mentally fit? Aside from blogging, I love to journal, create vision boards, color, and paint. Using my creative talents to de-stress works for me. Also, I am a big fan of a spa massage, although I rarely ever go.

I look forward to the day I can feel comfortable going for a spa day.

4. Remote way of life is here to stay.

Last year when COVID-19 hit the United States, most businesses shifted to working remotely. Can I tell you how grateful I am for exploring remote work in advance?

The past couple of years, I have begun to dabble in remote work-from-home jobs, and so happy I did because it taught me new skills. Shifting to remote work for the foreseeable future showed me I can be very flexible and resourceful and practice time management. Along with these skills, I have been able to learn new applications. This is a learning experience and only helps me to grow.

I honestly do not see remote work reverting backward but only gaining momentum. Think about it. Corporations are saving money on resources. They are not paying for coffee and tea and snacks for workers; they have less liability and worker’s comp claims due to workers not being on-site. Those are just a few things I can think of off the top.

I have learned that working remotely can be just as productive, if not more productive. And I must tell you I love the short commute.

5. Video is trending.

Another realization I had since last year is that YouTube and video content creation are big business!

I expressed last year that I wanted to build my YouTube channel and incorporate more videos in my posts.

Why? It is a great way to repurpose your content and reach a whole different population segment searching for content related to your niche.

I also learned that since the pandemic started, people are spending more time watching content through video. Did you know that people get most of their news and information from watching video/streaming content? That is huge.

I made it a point to stop my procrastination and try to post more video content on my blog.

I am starting with small video clips, but at least it is a start, right? This is one area I strive to grow and learn in the future.

6. Blogging has helped me reconnect with friends and family.

One of the joys of having a blog is that it is on the world wide web. Luckily, I have had friends and family from far and near find out about my little ol’ blog by luck.

It is nice to know my blog helps heal grieving pet parents’ hearts and reunites and reconnects friends and family. Shout out to my high school friend and classmate VK!

Speaking of family, while I was on hiatus over the holidays, I was also helping my Dad with his own blog.

Remember my Dad, author of Glory to Glory: A book of inspirational poems and Say Yes to the Prompting of the Holy Spirit? I did a book review a while back; you can check that out here.

But back to blogging, his goal was to have his own blog and website, and now it is up and running. He is a senior, and I love that he can still pursue his deepest desires and make them a reality.

Let that be a bonus lesson: Never give up on your dreams! To paraphrase the words of Les Brown, Go to the graveyard empty…empty of your dreams, desires, and wishes because you did it all while you were alive and lived your life to the fullest.

If you enjoy Christian-inspired messages and content, visit my Dad’s new site, For Me It’s Jesus. Check out the blog and leave a comment. Let him know I sent you!

7. Be Brave – Love and light outshine the hate and darkness.

One of the things I learned about last year is to have the courage to be brave and face the world. Whether that means daring to go to the grocery store or protesting for social change, at some point, we must push through fear and be courageous.

One of the most pivotal moments for me last year, aside from my mother’s death, was seeing how the world reacted to the death of George Floyd. As a black woman, I can tell you I had never thought I would see the day when the world would finally witness and acknowledge the injustices many people of color faced.

America has a long deep-rooted history and system built on social and racial inequalities. Unfortunately, many people are not fully educated or informed about the collective history of the United States and thus were shocked when witnessing the death of George Floyd.

Does this happen in America? Yes, for many years. The only difference now is that people have a cell phone device to record what’s been happening despite the outcries for years. What you are taught in elementary school is not the full scope of history.

Contrarily, hearing about record-breaking sales of books on anti-racism and black history encouraged me to know people are willing and want to learn more.

Overwhelmed and full of mixed emotions, it reignited the sense of hope in the goodness in people—human to human.

This country, and the world, have a long way to go, but seeing people march around the world in the name of equality and justice shows it is possible.

We as people can be united. We are stronger together than divided. Love outshines hate and the darkness. Good always wins.

8. Organization & Planning

Another one of the 9 lessons learned in 2020 is getting myself organized. Making plans and strategizing are key to getting things done. I will admit that when COVID-19 happened, I fell off the wagon with my organization of time regarding everything outside of the work realm. How ironic, isn’t it?

Making time for fitness, journaling, blogging, and art just went out the window.

In 2021, it was a fresh start to get organized and back on track. I started last month in December purging and getting rid of old items. You feel so much better when you have a space decluttered and organized.

I am keeping this momentum into the new year to stay organized and focused. I have a vision board that needs work for 2021, but I am ready.

So at the start of this post, you wondered, Kamira, what have you been up to? Well, let me fill you in!

One of the goals I had planned on bringing into the new year is happening now.

9. Having gratitude is priceless.

Finally, one of the goals and lessons learned last year I am bringing into the new year is creating content just for you. Last year I asked, and you answered in a survey I sent out. What things did you like about Impurrfectlife, and what did you want?

Well, I asked you, you answered back, and I listened! First, I am so grateful to have honest responses and feedback to let me know what is working and what can be left behind.

I am so grateful to all of you who followed my blog and gave some great input. As you can tell, if you got this far, you already know I’ve made a few slight changes to the look and feel of the blog. Also, I have a special announcement!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Impurrfectlife now has printables and e-books available

With that said, let me point out a few new things. Impurrfectlife now has printables and e-books just for you. I asked what types of digital products you would like to see, and you answered. I now offer printable greeting cards and e-books. The collection will continue to grow to include wall art printables as well.

If you are not already an Impurrfectlife Insider, sign up here.

Update: ***My printable collection and e-books are available on my Etsy shop here****

Conclusion

Those are the 9 lessons learned in 2020 surviving this pandemic. I am grateful to have my health, family, friends, and passion for doing what I love sharing my creativity with others. I look forward to seeing more positive changes both personally and socially. My goal is to continue to grow, learn, and foster this year. And having paws in our home is long overdue!

So, let me know in the comments below did any of my lessons resonate with you? What goals do you have set for this year? Do you have any additional lessons learned in 2020 you want to share? Do you like the changes to the blog? I’d love your input!

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