That's how 2020 rolled for me!
Finally one of the most challenging years of my life and I believe many other people the year 2020 is over. The year 2020 has been a roller coaster; it started well but kept taking dramatic turns throughout. This year has taught me a lot, right from staying fit to overcome the obstacles faced while working remotely. 2020 definitely felt like survival of the fittest. As days passed one after the other it became increasingly difficult for people to remain optimistic. Things were getting from bad to worse as the year progressed due to the pandemic.
I believe many folks out there had started losing hopes with all the resolutions they made for this year. Remaining with a positive mindset was very difficult. I guess the year 2020 is an example of the year that comes I guess once in a century. Before I realized it was Diwali time, I was literally shattered by the thought of how fast all the months went by. Now when I introspect, I also realized that this period did certainly a lot of good also to me and felt that I should appreciate all those things that happened well to me during this year. So, I am collating all my experiences and learnings from this year in this blog.
1. Got familiar with the crux of Software development.
2020 started for me with an awesome program called Gurukul @ Sahaj. It was fun and lots of excitement to learn and embrace new skills. After a period of 45 days of Gurukul, we all started working on Internal projects. This was a great start towards an awesome Journey. The main goal of the program is to introduce graduates to the world of software development, along with ways to increase their confidence, sense of discipline, self-reliance, empathy, creativity, and mindfulness.
2. I started blogging!
Meanwhile, I had the Graduation Ceremony at College and I became an Engineer officially. That’s when I started writing blogs which I never thought I would love this much. And by the end of 2020, I had written 15 blogs!! And learned a lot in the process. The more I write the more I am learning.
3. Lots and Lots of Family Time!
At the start of the pandemic, Pune was one of the most affected cities in India. I was stuck alone at home in Pune for 3 months. This sudden change of loss of connectivity with everyone and managing office work and household chores together was too frustrating and demotivating, I somehow managed to keep my head in the right space with the help of friends and family over calls(Thanks to all the technology we have) I wonder how it would have been during Spanish flu time. Fortunately, I got an e-pass and I traveled to my home town. I am still here, at home, with my family. And honestly, I wish I could be here forever. During my education and later work, I had been away from family and home for years, and after so long I got to live this again. I am thankful that everyone in my family is fit and fine.
4. I corrected by broken undisciplined life
Because of living away from home for a long time, I had become the laziest version of myself who lived a very unhealthy life. I struggled with many problems because of such a routine of staying awake late at night and eating junk food often. Honestly, I thank my parents for making my life disciplined again. I will do my best to keep this discipline going once I am back in Pune in near future.
5. I have constantly kept taking on new challenges
Even though the majority of the year has been WFH, there were a number of opportunities in which I could challenge myself and become a better person. I took lunch and learn sessions, participated in the hiring process, had an amazing session with some of the high school students from the USA, and even did a showcase to the Client. Thanks to the amazing workplace and Mentors, for giving me the chance to do these things.
6. Saw a bigger side of things
As a fresher, one rarely gets to know how is revenue generated by an organization, why certain decisions are made the way they are, and what goes behind making such decisions which impact almost everyone in the organization. During this year, we got to participate in many such discussions making events. From deciding if we should share the profit we made among ourselves and should we delay our hikes to deciding what should be the percentage hike we as an organization can afford in the upcoming year and how it impacts our business in different ways. We were equally involved in all the decision-making irrespective of our experience levels. Sometimes things became too overwhelming but it was really awesome to experience at such a young juncture my career as a professional It definitely helped me expand my thinking. I still have so much more to learn and I am glad that the beginning for such things has already happened and I am sure with time I will get better at this also.
Though 2020 was a year of ups and downs, I learned one thing. We are unstoppable. If we wish to do something and apply ourselves, we will definitely achieve it, overcoming all the problems around us. In the end, it’s just another experience and an opportunity to be better. Let us hope that 2021 and the years to come will bring lots of positive changes, good health, and lots of opportunities and success. For sure at the end of 2020 I know I can be a lot stronger and I can not only simply survive, but I can also flourish and grow as an individual.
