How I became a better person in a global pandemic

So, 2020. It was a rough one. Unpredictable, at best; utterly catastrophic, at worst. Zero people I have talked to were prepared for it, and quite a lot of them chalk it up to an unnecessary year that did not really shove them forward in life.

To me, the year of 2020 - the year of the global pandemic that history books will talk about - was life altering, busy, and fabulous.

Yes, I missed out on holidays with my family, was scared and worried, and I canceled at least ten trips, but I worked so hard on my personal development that I emerged on the 2021-side a completely new and improved person. And, if things are going to continue far into 2021, here are some of my conclusive thoughts on how you can wrestle through the bad-time-jungle and come out even more epic on the other side.

1. Take a class - any class

Personally, I went back to school. A full time student, holding down a full time job - who has time to think about missed parties?

No, but seriously. The decision to further educate myself was very much a YOLO-decision. Ultimately I decided that I would take it day by day, week by week, always with the exit readily available in case of a burnout situation occurring.

But much to my surprise, I have found myself to feel ten times more productive. You could say that I received the gift of time management as a free sampler along with my order. Thanks to my new skill, I can go to bed feeling blissfully satisfied with my day, every day, and I have learned to appreciate that 42 minute episode on Netflix one hundred times more compared to if I had unlimited minutes.

2. Now is the time to experiment

Have you always wondered what it would be like to chop off all your hair? Do your own acrylic nails? Wear a really questionable color combo? Now is the time to experiment with all these things that you always thought about doing, but couldn't face anyone in the office if it turned out to be a disaster.

I chopped my hair off, and applied several hideous colors to top it off. I just wanted to try something different because I had always wondered, and I knew that if I didn't attempt these dumb things I would always have that color wheel turning in the back of my mind. I went from platinum blonde barbie hair to shoulder length, beige, then strawberry, then pink, then glaring red, then ginger, and now I have landed on something not too far from golden blonde.

I also discovered that I am definitely getting hair extensions.

3. Detox yourself

This can refer to literally anything toxic; alcohol, cigarettes, relationships, certain foods... It's a cleansing challenge, if you will.

For me, this was makeup. I have spent more than a decade (perhaps this needs more emphasis. MORE THAN A DECADE) hiding behind makeup. Even if it was a shitty eyeliner and a brow pen, there was at least three different products smeared in my face as soon as my foot hit the carpet in the morning. But the pandemic started my new routine of getting up, washing my face, and spending the whole day with my bare face in the air.

And I ended up absolutely loving it.

This was such a huge accomplishment for me; feeling comfortable in my own skin. Never would I have imagined that I would post my non-makeup face on social media for the whole world to see. But I did, and I am.

4. Invest

If you are able to, I definitely recommend investing your money somewhere. Even if it's just ten dollars per paycheck, it's still a fruitful and fluid contribution to your future.

I started an account with a certain financial services company, snuck in a few dollars each week, and started watching the magic happen. It's quite thrilling and if you invest in safe stocks, you can just put your phone down, lean back, and let it churn in the background for a few years.

5. Check yourself and your situation

One of the most eye opening things that occurred for most people during this tumultuous year was being forced to evaluate (and maybe even re-evaluate) your situation. Namely, are you happy with your life? Your family? Your living situation? Yourself?

The task was kind of thrust upon us; suddenly we are just supposed to sit inside the same four walls with the same people each day - or alone, if that's our situation. Regardless, we got to take a long, honest look in the mirror. Am I thriving with this person? Or, to be more blunt, can we stand each other?

Thankfully I discovered that I have zero problems hanging out with the people and animals in my household. It was never a question, really, until I started thinking about people that may be worse off; forced to quarantine with dysfunctional relationships either with themselves, or with others.

I hope you are all okay -- better than okay. I hope you are thriving.