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2020 may well be regarded as Annus Horribilis as the world witnessed an avalanche of misfortunes – ranging from wildfires, volcanoes, riots & protests, locust swarms, chemical explosion, oil spills and above all the coronavirus pandemic. These have had far-reaching consequences on humanity resulting in loss of livelihoods, hunger, deaths and sickness for millions all over the world. Clearly, these were testing times, but then, every adversity presents an opportunity – for those willing to see and take the plunge. Personally, I’ve not had a more satisfying and fulfilling year than 2020 and I say this because, it has given me the time and space to learn and grow, create and cherish, give and empathize, and above all experience abundance in minimalism (See my previous post on this topic here).
With deluge of news flow, suffering and distress engulfing us 24/7, coupled with misinformation flying at supersonic speed, it isn’t easy to stay calm and focused. But then, that’s when separating the chaff from the grain really matters. Among the many inspirational memes and graphics that went viral during the first few weeks of the pandemic, my attention got fixated on the one below, that I chose to make what I call ‘Dynamic energy circles’ for the remainder of the year.
The Fear zone is something that I wanted to first conquer and render it non-existent or minimum, at best. And my fear was not of going jobless or of having to social distance for prolonged periods of time or even of letting go of age-old normal routine. But it was of falling sick! Alas, this might sound trivial in pre-covid times, but given that our healthcare systems were reeling under enormous stress and equally important was the safety and health of loved ones, this took precedence. And the only way I knew I could win this over is by staying fit and eating lean. I therefore, brought in fresh rigor and rhythm to my workout regime. A regular gym-goer, but was quick to latch on to the virtual workouts – thanks to my friend who nudged me into it. The online fitness journey in the past 8+ months has been truly energizing, refreshing and rewarding. While I got introduced to newer forms and variations of workouts with dynamic trainers, the bigger and tangible outcome is, they have made me fitter, stronger and healthier. In equally important measure, was the practice of having home-cooked food and home-remedies for boosting immunity. (Yes, I haven’t had dine-ins, takeaway or home delivery since March 8!) The fact that I didn’t have a hospital/doctor visit in the past 10 months, is in itself a biggest testimony, given my consistent history of 2-3 bouts of IV antibiotics/year for acute tonsillitis/pharyngitis.
The Learning zone is where I invested time and efforts in acquiring new skills and building upon existing ones. While this is one of the recurring goals each year, this year the urge got intensified due to changing industry dynamics and as the need to stay relevant and reskill only got bigger. I am glad to have completed five certifications across Digital Marketing, SEO & Content Marketing and Data & Analytics and having used the knowledge gained in designing a website (link is unfortunately inactive as the hosting provider license got expired), publishing a blog, creating a YouTube channel and Facebook Biz Page. Thanks to the on-demand marketplace economy we have more choices to tailor our learning needs to our pace, skill level and end objective. And I simply exploited this to my advantage. Secondly, books offered me the needful distraction from all the negativity and noise around. I completed five of them from my last year’s ‘To be read’ list – spanning across politics, health & fitness, business, religion and humanity; plus did a review of one for an accelerator program (published here). Yeah, diverse as they may sound, but I’m someone who appreciates variety in everything😊
Now coming to my favourite circle – Growth zone, I used this to bring to fore my love for food and passion for travel, in subtle, yet distinct ways. The gourmet in me wasn’t going to settle for anything less than a grandiose platter for my cheat day treats! And so, I donned the Master chef’s hat and treated myself to 90 new varieties of dishes and drinks – all my first attempts. (you can catch a glimpse of these here). In addition to pleasing the taste buds from within the safe confines of my kitchen, these culinary experiments have proven to be de-stressing and therapeutic. With the level of positive reactions and comments I’ve been receiving on social forums, it turns out I can make a good restaurateur, some day perhaps😊
Another equally exciting but a little more adventure-seeking part of the Growth zone came from my solo drives and expeditions. Health and safety undoubtedly was my top priority (it still is!), but that meant no curtailment on little joys of life. The seven weekend hunts (mostly 40-80 kms off Bangalore), offered me quick detox from the ‘new normal’ routine. Importantly, these open spaces became avenues to explore and experience solitude – an absolute bliss! (you can read my post on this here). Be it rock climbing, hiking, valley viewing or simply lake-gazing, the plethora of options were a real bundle of joys.
Photo by Immo Wegmann, Unsplash
Moving on to the next circle of Action, this is where deeds mattered as much as the thoughts. Humankind perhaps witnessed the most devastating year in recent times, with so much pain and suffering nook and corner of the world. I involved myself in small acts of giving and empathy for kids in an orphanage and slums, donations to Covid Relief Program and an NGO supporting rehabilitation of those with spinal cord injuries. The value of something instantly shoots up when it reaches the hands of the needy and the smile it brings on their faces, is simply priceless – an admission straight from my heart!
The other big project under Action zone and a long overdue one was Mission De-cluttering. I used the time that is usually earmarked for annual long vacation to tidy-up closets, cupboards, racks, shelves, drives and digital spaces. Trust me, it is one heck of a project doing a Marie Kondo, but when you are determined, there is only one way – clean up all the accumulated mess. As I write, I can heave a sigh of relief, as spaces and corners in my home are now more organized, structured and visually more pleasing.
While these largely reflect upon my doings, there are two aspects that relate to non-doings, or simply put, going against the tide. At a time when majority of people took to streaming shows and movies, I decided to give them a complete miss, and instead use that time to sharpen my saw. Contrary to popular trend, I unsubscribed my plan with an OTT platform – to free up the network bandwidth and mind space. (The OTT guys and Twitterati would hate me for this). Second, with stock markets in a free fall and pundits, investors and fund houses scurrying around to liquidate their holdings, I chose to swim against the current and put my weight behind conviction, confidence and contrarian thinking. The new lows meant great bargains (value buys as Benjamin Graham would call) and I used the dips to make fresh investments and top-up a few existing ones, without making any panic exits. At 47.5K today from an abyss of 25,880 nine months ago, Sensex’s rebound has been sensational! And its no-brainer to quantify what a portfolio would look like😊
To wrap up, 2020 has no doubt been a very challenging year on many fronts. It has also been the best time to uncover one’s hidden potential, explore new dimensions to life and living and in the process, create new life-changing experiences. To me, it has truly been a very satisfying, fulfilling and memorable year in many ways – annus mirabilis. As the curtains down, I am happy to be finishing strong with new ideas, thoughts and dreams for the new year.