We all did not see 2020 turning out the way it did, and worse of all, we do not know what to expect from the coming year 2021.
As Ak Bhardwaj will say, “life is full of uncertainties and there is only one thing which is certain in life, uncertainty itself. So face all odds of life wisely.”
If many are asked why they could not achieve the goals and aspirations they set for the year 2020, they would all blame it on the pandemic and the sad turn out of the year.
However, now that you know that life will not always go as planned and uncertainties are always lurking around waiting to seize the moment, should you just live randomly or leave your life to chance?
The broad answer to that question is no, but how and where do we go from here?
A person according to the Total Man Concept (TMC) is defined as a spirit living in a body that has a soul. Thus, your life is made up of the spiritual, the physical, and the mental. Psychologist and philosophers have nonetheless extended the aspects of a person’s life to include financial, emotional, and career/financial, amongst others.
In this write-up, the focus is on how to overcome the uncertainties surrounding your spiritual, physical, mental, and career goals in the coming year.
Spiritual aspect
Whether you are a Christian or a Muslim, if 2020 taught you anything, it is that going to your physical place of worship is not the ultimate spiritual life booster. There was a lockdown and churches and mosques were affected so we had to worship at home and virtually.
It was hard for many of us to keep up because we had either forgotten or never knew what it was like to build a relationship with God for ourselves. Yes, going to the church or mosque is great, but what happens to your spiritual life when these places are closed?
Start today to read your Holy book on your own, start to sing worship and praise songs in your private space even when there are no drums or other musical instruments. Start to connect with other persons that share your faith so you all can help elevate one another no matter how bad it gets.
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In summary, lockdown or not, your spiritual life can still continue to blossom if you replicate the church activities in your home if you read edifying contents if you listen to spirit elevating messages if you talk more to people that are highly interested in keeping their spiritual lives afloat, and if you never cease to pray to God for more help.
Physical aspect
Your body should never be neglected by you no matter what. Oh yea, maybe because you were indoor for so long in 2020 you gained so much weight, you didn’t take care of your skin or maybe you even came out of 2020 looking more glorious than ever. Since you do not know what 2021 holds, how do you ensure that no matter what, your physical being will continue to shine?
How your body turns out is determined by what you eat and drink, what you rub on your skin, and how well you exercise your bones and muscles.
Make a conscious decision now to live a disciplined physical life no matter the situation. Start now to only eat the right things in the right quantities. Start now to only drink the right things in an adequate amount. Look out for good soaps, creams, ointment and just nourish your skin to keep it healthy and glowing.
Exercising should not be a subject of losing or adding weight. Your exercise routine should be tied to your desire to stay healthy and look great no matter what. Make exercising a lifestyle, try yoga and other stretches, get indoor workout equipment in case the gyms are closed again, and most importantly, be ready to treat your body nice no matter what.
Mental aspect
Many times we forget that asides physical health, our mental health is also very important. There are many people walking and living around you who might not be physically sick but are mentally not alright.
Calm down a bit, I am not referring to psychiatric patients; I am referring to your state of mind, the thoughts that feel your mind, the way you act, and the choices you make based on all that surrounds you.
Your mental health is divided into your emotional, psychological and social self and it is important at every stage of your life. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), your mental health is the state of well-being in which you realise your own abilities, how you can cope with normal stresses of life, and how you can work productively wherever you find yourself.
Begin to make it a habit to avoid people, places, stories, sites and conversations that negatively affect you emotionally, psychologically or socially. The suicide rate around the world increased in 2020 because a whole lot was happening all at once and so many persons became mentally ill.
Choose today to create an environment that supports your mental health, keep around you friends that bring only positive energy, do not soak it all in because you want to look strong, find a support group online.
The truth is, I cannot give you an exhaustible list of how to consciously protect your mental health in the coming year, but I can say for sure that if you make protecting your mental health a priority all the time, it will go a long way in helping you weather the storms living with uncertainty.
In summary, emotionally, learn to choose your own happiness; psychologically, cut ties with persons or anything that drains you of positive energy, and socially, give your time and attention to only positive news, sites, people, and activities.
Career/financial aspect
2020 is one year that made so many jobless, slashed salaries, left many unpaid, put children out of school, set back the academic progress of so many and so much more. We definitely do not know what 2021 is bringing so how do we overcome career/academic/financial wise?
Your career development involves you doing things, building skills and competence that makes you so relevant that no one wants to let you go and those that get you would be so lucky to have you. Remember that as long as you have something tangible to give in return, someone would be willing to buy.
Start taking online courses from now on within your field and even outside. Build your skills, read more, and continue to seek more relevant information.
As a student, learning and staying in touch with knowledge has become so easy given the digital age, so start today to choose flexibility towards learning. Yes, your school is closed due to strikes or the lockdown or sadly that admission you wanted to get is being delayed due to the pandemic; go digital today.
Tell yourself that lockdown or not, pandemic or not, you would always create time to grow yourself outside the walls of a classroom. Do not just tell yourself, start doing it from now.
The year 2020 has taught us that having one income stream is not in any way sustainable, so start to branch out today. Move out of your comfort zone and start exploring new opportunities.
Flexibility in your thinking is an important key to staying financially buoyant no matter what. For example; do you think it was only tailors that made money from nose masks or hand sanitizers earlier this year? Financially wise persons sought investments with tailors and hand sanitizer makers, resulting in huge returns at the end of the day. Some other persons who had built flexibility and were not afraid to branch out started to learn how to make these items online and in no time were selling their products.
In conclusion, whether you are male or female, it does not matter. What matters is your ability to take charge of all the aspects of your life beginning from now towards the coming year. Yes, the uncertainties remain, but stay armed with all that you need to stay afloat and continue to learn. The uncertainties might bring so much negativity, but always seek the opportunities because whether you want to face it or not, some persons will tell you that 2020 in all its craziness is still their best year yet. Make wise choices today so that you can overcome the uncertainties in the coming year.
Short Bio
Oluwafadekemi Areo is an Economics and Markets Analyst at BusinessDay Media Nigeria. Asides speaking to and writing about economic and financial issues, she has a knack for exploring and explaining matters surrounding the human mind and psychology. She strongly believes that in a world where everyone puts themselves in other people’s shoes, win-win solutions will always be created to every problem.
