Year of Thanks: Things I Learnt in 2020

Year of Thanks: Things I Learnt in 2020

Last years has been a memorable one form me. It has changed a lot of my perspective and shifted my thinking to believe more in doing the impossible. Yes, 2020 was not an easy year for anyone but I am grateful for the things I gain and in optimistic about the future.

Here a couple of things I gained/learned in 2020:

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Planning

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I am usually a spontaneous person, impulsive and reactive. Most times I think of a line of action but I rarely execute. I discovered it was because of the lack of proper planning.

However, I discovered that when I made plans from the dawn of the day, I was able to properly prioritize what was important and needful. It reduced a lot of frustration and laziness because I had a list of task that I had to complete. Some days I didn't complete all the task but I realized I was making progress.

The major significance of planning is that it makes you proactive and less reactive.

Starting and finishing

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In previous years, I have struggled a lot in completing a lot of projects. And no, I didn't buy domains every time I had a project idea, that would have been wasteful. However, I started projects but still never finished.

My problems in completing projects were due to, in part, lack of planning. I didn't actually have a disciplined routine that kept me consistent with my work. When you are impulsive and frequently reactive, you will find it difficult completing task.

TBH, I did struggle with this for most of last year. In order to overcome this, I became accountable. I told my friend about it and he always checked on me to ensure I was maintaining my discipline.

Building Focus

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Eliminating distractions was a major boost to my productivity last year. I know my kryptonite; videos and photos on social media. Last year, I had to break away from those distractions. I uninstalled Instagram and Facebook, and I kept Twitter in an App Freezer. TBH again, overcoming the temptation to disable the App Freezer was a big battle for me.

An effective method I used in developing my focus was my creating priorities. I made a todo list each day of the tasks I had to achieve. First had to write them down into a note then into the DayBoard chrome extension. One nice thing about DayBoard is that it automatically blocks social media sites after a set time limit (max: 60mins).

Connecting with People

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I am an introvert so I rarely get out or interact with other people often. I usually get to meet people in meetups but due to the global pandemic last year, I wasn't able to.

However, I did make a few valuable social connections last year. First was in the area of mentorship. I got connected to some experience veterans and professionals in my field. One of my mentors even became like a "Tech Dad" to me, advising me in areas in needed to grow in and giving me tips that made me more successful in executing projects effectively.

In terms of friends, I made a couple of new ones too. Mostly through interaction online through WhatApp groups and Zoom meetings. My old friends also connected with me and we did share valuable moments and opportunities. Even a friend of mine connected me to my first major job as a software developer for a fintech startup.

I also added value to others new in the field of tech my holding beginner tutorials on WhatsApp group and a private Slack channel. Some of them got job offers before the end of the year.

Family

The best neck-pressers in the history of character development. My family has always the greatest blessing in my life. From my parents to my siblings, the kind of awesome things they dare has made me grow and become more accountable in the ways I do things.

Takeaways

2020 was quite a great year, to be honest. Although I did have a number of gloomy dark moments, I also had great experiences that made me a lot better.

I look forward to 2021 with great optimism and curiosity. I am excited to see what this year has to offer and the great impacts I can make in it. Cheers!!!