Why 2020 may be the best year of your life.
By: Yin Kai Law
Tags: Reflections, 2020, Covid 19, Singapore, Life

Did a morning hike at Hendersons Waves

2020 wasn’t a forgiving year because of the sudden brake COVID-19 on our pace of life. Pent up anxiety about the loss of livelihoods and threat to safety seemed more prominent during the uncertain period, and technological disruption has gripped all our everyday tiny moments filled with news updates.

Under the tough circumstances, the government introduced a 2-month “circuit breaker” to do a complete makeover for Singapore, and international flights were no longer available for leisure travel. And such a compromise made Singapore hit its tourism and hotel industry hard.

As closing many offices and public amenities became mandatory, staying home became the next best option for working adults to meet tight deadlines in their bedroom comfort. While the lucky ones get to keep their jobs, many affected families had trouble making ends meet.

A prolonged period of online education became a reality after the SARS Outbreak in 2004, enforcing students to stay home to absorb school materials digitally. This was when many realized the income disparity gap between the rich and the disadvantaged widened.

Besides, grasping concepts through an online medium may not be optimal for primary school students, it took a toll on working parents who had trouble balancing work and parenting duties. As a result, they would need to supervise their kids regularly, trying to take over the primary role of teachers.

Fresh out of school, many graduates felt disconnected between their job aspirations and the tough job market reality, trying to improve when they had the time to spare. When many established companies began laying off employees and downsizing, constant self-doubt began creeping in to cripple their confidence in finding unconventional jobs. Many started seeking for #SGUnited Traineeships for work attachments and accepted lower entry salaries as compared to their peers.

With many restrictions on human movements and capacity limits in public amenities, most Singaporeans chose food deliveries and take-outs to avoid mass gatherings. The safe distancing measures, which were well-maintained with clear demarcations and enforcements by the safe distancing ambassadors, were well-executed. Setting such initiatives to contain any potential virus has been a success, reporting low daily community cases and tracking down infected ones. Later, more reusable masks were distributed to residents, along with hand sanitizers, to maintain high personal hygiene.

Spotted queue poles outside of Marina Bays Sands Apple Store

Though COVID-19 brought a great deal of inconvenience and uncertainty, I viewed it as otherwise. 2020 taught me a lot, and it could not have been better without the pandemic.

The Value of Impermanence

When we heard many stories about employees ending their illustrious careers, it was shocking to accept how their “iron” rice bowls got robbed by the pandemic. When Singapore Airlines’ commercial pilots received higher pay cuts, many could not keep up their current lifestyles and default on monthly mortgages. It got me thinking about how these people will overcome their loss of livelihood, and what I should consider before I start my career during a period full of uncertainties. Understanding wealth planning, lifestyle types, and personal spending habits at a young age are important for our personal finances, making sure it must be pandemic-proof and sustainable.

Differentiating between your Needs and Wants

Since it is more common for us to work and school from home, I realized I have a lot of clothes and shoes I might not wear. I became more aware of the small moments I had before buying an item on impulse. Wearing pajamas for school became a trend, and I would switch to a different outfit to trick my mind that I was physically in school. After one semester of school, I can no longer distinguish between my pajamas and school outfits because I could wear them interchangeably. Moreover, the big cut in daily commutes and coffee runs made me reconsider my personal spending habits and priorities, which I usually spend carelessly.

Do we really need to buy so many clothes we don’t need to impress people we don’t care about? And do we need to splurge on expensive coffees?

More time to think and learn about yourself

Although this may not apply to all, I personally found more time to think about myself. During the “circuit breaker”, many worried about being trapped in a confined space, doing things alone without any external stimulus. My mental health was deeply affected, which led to me over-worrying for a lot I thought would happen. It was one of the darkest times of my life, in which I learned a lot about myself.

I’ve learned how to prioritize and assure myself that I cannot control external events that are not within my means. Even if I want the world to recover quickly from the pandemic, I will only get more anxious because I care too much about the result.

After talking to my friends about my thoughts, I moved on to focus on things that matter, and slowly adapt to the new reality.

More quality time with your family

It has been a while since we spent a long time with our families because of heavy work commitments and for all kinds of reasons. It wasn’t always easy to get everyone to sit down for a meal when we were busy. Never have I spent long hours at home because of school, and we finally had many homemade dinners during the weekdays, which I felt missing for families with working parents.

Taking a break from working in offices and walking away from workaholic colleagues called for a great time for many to rejuvenate and spend more time with their loved ones. And no more scheduled feeding time to dispense food for your pets, yay!

Being more mindful of the people around us

While many are continually stuck in the hamster wheel trying to complete their day-to-day tasks and routines, we have failed to recognize how important it is to appreciate the people around us. We didn’t realize how precious our family and friends were until we were under quarantine. And this year taught me not to take anyone for granted and make time for those who care.

Try something new (Maybe a Side hustle?)

With the emergence of more online businesses, there is no better time for us to start something we always wanted to, which is to start a passion project on the side. During the “circuit breaker”, the growing trend of online bakeries and face masks were phenomenal when more people jump on their social media. In this digital age where only low initial investments are needed is why you can start a side hustle without breaking your bank.

Took time off to reflect at the poolside

After reflecting on these lessons, 2020 has been liberating for me to realign my focus and values towards my personal goals and forge closer ties with the surrounding people. If the pandemic never happens, I think everyone would be comfortable with what they thought brought comfort to their lives, like staying in the same job.

Without the growth mindset and some intrinsic motivation, it will be harder to let go of one’s ego and preconceived notion of life and blame it on the pandemic. So, I am personally grateful that COVID-19 struck at the right time, which is essential for everyone to re-evaluate their priorities and not remain in their own comfort zones.

Although we agree that the pandemic has caused many drawbacks to our lives, I chose to take on the positive changes that it brought to our society. For me, 2020 is definitely one of the best years of my life.

I hope you guys can see it and I want to end my post with a famous saying by Bruce Lee: