5 Things 2020 Helped Us Value More Than Ever Success coaches Javid Hoffmann and Kaia Ra share that 2020 hasn't been the best year for most people, but even in the middle of all the bleakness, we've learned how meaningful ordinary things could be

By Shivang Saxena

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Kaia Ra and Javid Hoffmann
Kaia Ra and Javid Hoffmann

The year 2020 has been a strange one with a pandemic that brought about lockdowns worldwide. Businesses shut down, job loss, pay cuts, people stuck in their homes with nowhere to go, with all the pandemic's adverse effects, there are some lessons that we can learn from the year that was. Success coaches Javid Hoffmann and Kaia Ra share things they have learned to value more than they did in prior years.

Self-love

As Kaia Ra says, "One can argue that they've always loved themselves, but the one thing they can't deny is that 2020 taught us to have high regard for our own happiness and well-being. We have learned not to sacrifice our happiness to please others and to take care of our needs properly."

"When you have to stay indoors for days on end, you find yourself introspecting and dropping the unhealthy habits in your life," Hoffmann opines. "2020 has certainly made us get rid of negative thoughts, choices, and actions that didn't reflect self-worth and self-love. We've learned to always choose ourselves."

Self-improvement

Self-improvement goes hand-in-hand with self-love. Once you've learned how to love yourself and always put yourself first, you will find yourself looking for ways to improve yourself to become better.

"2020 saw people trying to grow in different aspects of their lives. They read books to increase their knowledge, advanced in their careers, and even worked out to get that body they've always wanted," says Hoffmann.

Kaia Ra adds to that, saying that most people now have additional skills learned during the year, took up a new online course, or even picked up a new hobby.

Financial freedom

According to Hoffmann, financial management and being financially free have been some of the greatest lessons that 2020 taught us. Many people worldwide lost their jobs or saw their businesses shut down, leaving them in financial difficulties. This has made people understand the importance of financial freedom and having complete control over your finances.

Kaia Ra agrees with Hoffmann and adds that people have had to find alternative ways of making money to supplement their income. "Going into 2021, we're going to see more people making better financial decisions and working towards attaining financial freedom."

Finding your purpose

Kaia Ra believes that 2020 is the year that forced us to look beyond our families, careers, and friends to find out that one thing that motivates us to wake up every morning.

"People were working from home, hence had limited interactions with colleagues. Lockdowns and curfews meant that they couldn't meet friends or family. This meant that people had to look for that one thing that fulfills them outside of those external factors."

Hoffmann adds that "finding your purpose would definitely make you feel more stable, in control, and happier in the tumultuous year that was 2020."

Leave an impact

"This year has shown us that we have to live for more than just ourselves to have a meaningful life. We have to leave an impact on people's lives somehow – even if it is just one person," believes Hoffmann. "You can't change everyone's life, but you can leave an impact on someone's life with small and meaningful gestures."

Kaia Ra gives examples of actions that would leave a lifelong impact on someone's life. "One way of leaving an impact in someone's life is by helping them out. During the year, the elderly or immunocompromised people couldn't really leave their homes, but we've heard of neighbors who offered to do grocery shopping for them and drop it at their front doors. Such small acts of kindness leave a huge impact on their lives."

Shivang Saxena

Freelance writer

Shivang Saxena is a New Delhi-based writer-entrepreneur. Reading, writing & entrepreneur-ing always. He's the founder of The Words Vibe. A platform for newbie writers to hone their skills. He's also working with his first book called, "Too Many Thoughts, Too Many People" which is due to get published by end of 2021. 

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