2020: A Year In Retrospect
Looking back at the worst year on record
If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s this: for the majority of people, 2020 was shit. Whether you’ve lost your job or been inflicted by the coronavirus, as the clock strikes midnight on the 1st January 2021 we can all happily wave goodbye to 2020 — or, rather, flip it off as we drink ourselves unconscious into the new year.
However, forever the optimist, I’ve decided to look back on 2020 with an inquisitive eye, as despite being the worst year on record (so far), it’s also had the most to offer. So, as I knock back another buck’s fizz, here are the five most important lessons I’ve learned from 2020.
Lesson One: Nobody cares!
The most important lesson on this list is the one that took me the longest to learn, and I had to have life kick me in the stomach a few times before I could fully appreciate exactly how much this lesson had to offer.
To put this lesson into perspective, throughout my life I’ve always been a high achiever. Whether it was in my brief athletic career (before falling down a hill and ruining my knee forever) or in my academic pursuits, anything less than perfect never felt good enough. This stemmed from several failed friendships and a handful of comments from ex-boyfriends that made me feel as though I always had something to prove.
And then 2020 came along. Here’s how my year has looked: I started off the year in a miserable job I hated, before leaving in March to start a job I loved. This love affair was brief; as the coronavirus took hold of the nation, I was shown the door I had walked through only a couple of weeks prior. What followed were three months of radio silence; no responses to job advertisements, no interviews, not even emails regretting to inform me that I hadn’t got the job.
From the silence came despair. After a couple of weeks I had fallen into a fully-blown depression, getting out of bed only to visit the bathroom, sleeping the days away in the hope that perhaps one day I wouldn’t wake up.
After being dragged to therapy by my ever-patient boyfriend, I found myself unpacking exactly why I felt the way that I did about myself when I had nothing to channel my energies into. For so many years I had dedicated myself to my work with the intention of proving them wrong. However, stepping back, with bitterness I had to accept that perhaps they (whoever they even were) didn’t really care.
Although we may be in awe of those that have achieved what society deems covetable — top grades, places to study at prestigious institutions, high-flying careers — in reality, how often do we spend thinking about these people? Now, apply your answer to the question of how much time you think people spending thinking about you and your achievements.
We’re all too caught up in our own busy lives, concerns, hopes, fears and dreams to really pay too much attention to another person for too long. While this may sound depressing, consider it liberating. As soon as I woke up from this haze that people actually cared about what I was doing with my life, suddenly I was free to make mistakes, be unemployed and have absolutely nothing together for as long as I needed. So, dear reader, take courage in whatever your situation is right now, because I can assure you that absolutely no one gives a toss.
Lesson Two: Do what you love
As obvious as it sounds, you’ll be surprised at how practically no one heeds this pearl of wisdom. We all know that doing what we love makes us more motivated, healthier and more productive, yet very few of us dedicate any time to doing the stuff that we really care about. Granted, it’s not always possible: unfortunately, love alone does not pay the rent or stop the electricity from getting shut off. However, it can definitely influence the way you work and define which path you choose to take.
I learned this lesson about a week ago, when my contract for my latest internship came to a close. My former boss and I were talking about all I had learned at the company and she noted how my best work always came from written assignments. Not only would I be enjoying the writing process, but I would always produce my best work if I enjoyed what I was writing about. In contrast, my former positions had all involved doing menial office jobs that were only a means to an end.
I’m not saying give up your job to do only what you love, but I am saying that loving what you do really makes a difference to the quality of your work, making for a happier you and a happier boss. If you’re in a position where you can’t say you love what you do, consider finding ways you can dedicate more time to what you want to do, whether it’s using your lunchbreak to take a course or asking your boss for responsibilities that are more closely aligned with your passions.
Lesson Three: Don’t ask, don’t get
Most of the time, we will only take the opportunities that we see directly in front of us. However, there is an alternative that requires the magical, yet rare combination of confidence and courage.
I found myself learning this lesson when I became nothing short of desperate. I’d been made redundant, was in the midst of a pandemic where absolutely no one was hiring and wasn’t entirely sure how I was going to make next month’s rent. So, in a fit of desperation, I pulled out my contacts book and started sending emails out to anybody who would listen.
Of course, I had my fair share of rejections. In a few cases, some people didn’t even pick up the phone. That’s okay — ultimately, no one owed me anything. However, in asking around, I found myself gaining two voluntary positions managing social media pages, a freelance Editorial Assistant position, and a six month internship with a decent wage and the promise of experience that up until now I had been denied time and time again.
I’m not saying that asking around is going to be easy. If anything, it’ll be remarkably humbling, at some points embarrassing and occasionally demoralising. However, vulnerability leads the way to opportunity, so take a deep breath, type that email out and remember: if you don’t ask, by sure as hell you won’t get.
Lesson Four: Get a mentor
You’ve probably heard this a million times before, but I’m going to tell you again anyway: if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re definitely in the wrong room.
For the past year, I’ve found myself jumping from internship to internship, along the way meeting a whole host of impressive, talented people from a range of backgrounds with a diverse and dynamic array of experiences. It’s safe to say that in practically every placement I was nowhere even close to being the smartest person in the room, but I always found myself getting to know the person that was in the hope that they would impart some of their wisdom unto the naïve twenty-something that wouldn’t leave them alone.
In doing so, I’ve found that I’ve had an older, wiser guardian who, having been there, done that and bought the T-shirt, could set me on the right track to success, avoiding the stumbling blocks that they had tripped over in the past. I now regularly meet with my mentor to discuss my week, my career plans and putting things into motion to get me from A to B.
If you haven’t found yourself a mentor, look around you to see who you’d like to learn the most from and stick as close to them as possible. Harking back to my former point, ask for advice in areas of uncertainty, perhaps even arranging one-on-ones to get all the guidance you need in one half hour session.
Lesson Five: Always take your keys with you
Perhaps less philosophical than the other tips, but for God’s sake, don’t ever leave your keys at home — unless walking into town in your dressing gown and slippers to pick up a spare set of keys from the lettings agency is your thing.
