I was thinking about the impact Covid has had on my life. At first look, it’s an even balance of the positive and the negative, and there has certainly been a fair share of each. But if I had to choose, I would have to selfishly say that the pandemic – and specifically the lockdown – came at just the perfect time for me, and it was a heaven-sent gift.

I don’t just mean that I needed the slowed down pace (It actually didn’t help, as it turns out). It’s more specific than that…I needed the forced-isolation so that I could work through a personal issue, without various people appearing on my doorstep to distract me. And – it worked like a charm, and shortened a process that might have take years to mere months. I am so much better, stronger and happier for it.

There were other pluses too, sometimes well disguised. Not sure if you’ve seen this meme, or a variation thereof? It goes something like this: “I thought I wasn’t writing a book because I had no time, but it turns out that wasn’t the problem.” It kinda applies to me, for life in general. I had been forever saying I want the world to stop so I can catch up, but when it did stop I barely was able to catch my breath. Sure, there was a lot of general anxiety and stress to go with the virus, and I think that affected productivity overall, but the actual fact is that I need a better work process and a change of focus. I might not have liked what I had to learn, but I can appreciate the importance of the lesson. I don’t think I would have realised that without the lockdown. I suspect this is true of a lot of us.

So that got me thinking. There is obviously not a person in the world that has not been affected (positively and negatively) by Covid (wild as that sounds!). And although everyone’s experience is different, I think it is worthwhile to spin the positive, and ask yourself this slightly narcissistic question…”Why did the pandemic happen to me?”.

What important lesson did 2020 teach you?

From a brief census of my friends, and highlighting only the positives while humbly acknowledging that there are a lot of negatives, here are some things that pop up:

• Relationships got re-evaluated
• Kids’ education got reassessed
• Finances got re-adjusted with a sharp wake up call
• Work focus shifted
• Lifestyle got healthier
• Family got prioritised
• Lots of introspection and facing of harsh realities
• Friendships got tested – and sometimes eliminated, for the better
• Friendships were made
• Compassion and empathy were enhanced
• Skills were learnt
• Health was prioritised
• Own resilience was recognised
• Mental health issues got faced head on

Unfortunately, it is still too early to write Covid’s obituary, and it still has a lot of lessons that it will teach us. But the learning has certainly started, and we musn’t forget or ignore the lessons we have learnt. We certainly paid high tuition!

Stay healthy (and motivated!)

xx,