The choice between shopping for Christmas gifts and writing this was an easy one to make. While I love the smiles I see the morning after the jolly man has swung through my nephews and nieces places, I’m not in the slightest looking forward to the bedlam down the local shops and supermarkets with punters going loco. Give me strength y’all.

December has been off the charts for us, with barely anytime to breath let alone think. Which, given this year, I am ever so grateful that business is booming. This gives rise to the thinking that 2020 has been a somewhat good year (obviously a pretty terrible year also). We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve had moments of ambivalence, joy and doomscrolling. But we’ve learned what’s important in our life.

Given the spirit of Christmas, and the way we want to finish off the year with positivity going into the new year, I’ve taken to compiling a list of the gifts that 2020 has taught me. Here we go:

1. Slow down

   Over the last year, a lesson that I’ve learned is to slow down and prioritise what’s important. My mind often gets lost with the rush of a busy workload and a bustling social life, so I’ve taken 2020 as a lesson to slow down and really take care of myself.

2. Patience.

   Patience is a biggy for me. I’m not sure if I’m alone with this one but when I’m motivated by something, I often want to get the finished results immediately. I’ve now realised that my lack of patience wasn’t teaching me to enjoy the moments and learning experiences in the between of whatever I may be working on. That’s why I’ve been focused on the in-between moments and not the end destination.

3. The older you get, the more fun it gets.

   A sore knee and an aching back won’t stop me from enjoying my late 20s. Every year has been a hell of a lot of fun. Lifelong friends, learning new things, trying new things - it doesn’t stop. Bring on my 30’s!

4. Keeping fit - for both physical and mental health.

   At the start of the year, I took up yoga at Power Living Adelaide in order to find a hobby that kept me fit both physically and mentally. Yoga was everything I was looking for. The strength, motivation, acceptance of myself and my limits, and the challenges I’ve overcome have made me incredibly proud of myself. I’ll be a yoga student for life.

5. Meeting new people.

   Over the last year and a half, I’ve been dealing with social anxiety. Unfortunately, that means creating connections with others can often be quite difficult. Nevertheless, I’ve looked after my mental health enough to be able to be willing to push my boundaries and talk to strangers and form close relationships. It’s extremely rewarding and I’m loving meeting numerous new people with like-minded interests.

6. Spend more time with family.

   My family live four and a half hours away from me which means that family time can often be difficult to plan. On top of that, COVID lockdowns made it nearly impossible. Having said that, it’s been a wake-up call that spending more time with family is something we should all prioritise.

7. Barriers are sometimes needed.

   I learned this one from my yoga teacher, Adam. When something doesn’t feel right, you want to say no, or you want some private time, know your barrier and put it up and recover and rest.

8. Don't take any shit.

   It’s taken me far too long to realise this one. No one should be bullied. No one should be treated rudely. When I’ve had nasty comments made to me or someone I love, I now question the person being rude in order to figure out why they say what they say. It shocks them every time and often leads to an apology because they have no answer as to why they said what they said.

9. Get a health check-up.

   Women, I’m mainly talking to you. Get a pap smear, get your breasts checked out. You never know, it might just save your life.

10. Be amazed.

    It’s the simple things that often are overlooked. A couple of weekends ago, we visited Innes National Park and star gazing was probably my favourite moment of the whole trip. The stars? I don’t remember the last time I looked at the stars and really, truly appreciated them! Especially how bright and dense they were within the national park.

Look, not much else to add but continue on the same strain as everyone else’s sentiments -BOOOO 2020! BRING ON 2021!

23 DECEMBER 2020