2020 will go down as a touchstone in human history. This was a year that saw a global pandemic fundamentally shift the way people work and live. While there is a tremendous amount of negative things that we can look back at, I’ve found that it’s always better to focus on the positive. I needed to take this approach for 2020 more than ever.
Each year, I sit down and review my journal from the past year to look at what goals I’ve reached, what the highlights were, and what lessons I can take away from the year. While a number of goals were unobtainable due to the pandemic, I still accomplished a great deal that I’m proud of:
- I read 18 books (Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy was my favorite)
- I logged 263.3 miles running
- I moved to a new town and made new friends
- I learned new tools and skills
- I started a new job
- I started a podcast
None of this was done alone. I was reminded of the value of having a network of family and friends to be there for support and encouragement. It underscored for me the need to continue to support and encourage others where I can.
The lesson I learned this year wasn’t new, but really deepened an already held belief: Be content. Make the best of what you have. Focus on what you can do, and don’t fixate on what you can’t do.