“They loved your messages. This was evident by the TWO standing ovations you received.”
Educational Service Unit No. 11
2020 was a year that was full of ups, downs, and tons of surprises, and now that it’s finally over, everyone is looking to take a breather—still with our masks on, of course. Although COVID-19 is still a threat, it’s next to impossible to not look back and practice gratitude for making it this far.
We learned a lot from the past year and hope to take some of these lessons into 2021 and beyond. Here are some of the most important takeaways from the past year:
COVID-19 taught us that health is not a given—for anyone. Whether you’re young, old, have no pre-existing conditions, or are terminally ill, your health is the most valuable asset you possess. Work, meetings, socializing all come much later in the grander scheme of things, and you should focus on your health. This includes keeping your stress and mental health in check.
A lot of us underestimate the importance of work-life balance because we’ve never been taught to focus on managing them simultaneously, but with the pandemic and extensive work-from-home, it became increasingly clear how necessary that boundary is. When your home and workplace mesh into one, having a routine, knowing where to draw the line, and balancing things out is crucial.
Money, job security, success, health, time—nothing is guaranteed in this lifetime. All the tomorrows you rely on could be further than you realize, till they’re eventually out of your reach. Take risks—but never endanger others—and don’t worry about the what-ifs. It’s worse to be left with regrets over things you didn’t do, doubts about could-have-been than mistakes that become lessons.
Breaks are productive, and there’s nothing wrong with rest, recovery, and recuperation. This includes those mini breaks during your workday as well as vacations, rest and downtime on the whole. In 2021, learn to guiltlessly enjoy the time off that you work so hard for.
As professional motivational speaker Steve Gilliland reiterates in many of his virtual and in-person presentations, life is what you make it. 2020 was a bump along the road, but together we can overcome anything. You can reach out to us to hire Steve as a professional speaker for events right here and learn more about virtual talks and presentations.
