2020 has come to an end, and I’m now looking forward to a new year.
I spent New Year’s Eve decluttering, deep cleaning, and reflecting on the year. I may have also binge-watched Friends on Netflix before it was relocated to HBO Max for the new year.
Anyone that knows me knows that I enjoy journaling and reflecting on experiences. The end of 2020 and start of 2021 was no different. Below are some of the key questions I considered when reflecting on the past year and my hopes for this year.
Thinking about 2020, what did I accomplish?
Before I share this, I think it’s important to share a disclaimer. If all you managed to do in 2020 was survive, that is awesome. I have been fortunate to not have been affected by job loss, catching covid, or any of the myriad of other things that have happened in this past year. Working freelance combined with the luck of not having students lose their jobs left me in a financially safe position this year, but I know that has not been the case for many people.
Looking back, I managed to do a lot.
In terms of personal accomplishments, I traveled to Japan for a vacation in February. I was completely outside my comfort zone not knowing more than a few words of Japanese, but I didn’t let that stop me. I was able to meet up with a friend I hadn’t seen since high school and another friend that I met in Hawaii traveling about 3 years ago. I was able to include a week in California as well as 10 days in New Jersey during the second half of February before returning to Santiago.
Another personal accomplishment was traveling in October to visit my dad for Thanksgiving. I was supposed to visit in July, but that trip was cancelled due to the pandemic. I was a bit worried about traveling, but after quarantining in a hotel for 2 weeks and a negative covid test everything was fine for my visit in the United States. I had to quarantine upon returning to Chile in early December, but having an apartment instead of a hotel room makes a big difference.
In terms of professional accomplishments, in December José Luis and I celebrated the one-year anniversary of the podcast. Looking back, I have no idea how we managed to produce two audio episodes per month in the midst of the pandemic; it felt like we were constantly working on one thing or another. Our goal of bringing guests onto the podcast got a later start than we had wanted, but we’re now at the point of having a video episode with a guest per month and an audio episode per month. If you’d like to listen to or watch any of them you can do so by clicking here.
Another notable thing that happened in 2020 was online conferences and webinars. I was grateful to have presented for TESOL Chile and RELO Los Andes, and I also met some great people through those events. It’s obviously not the same as meeting people in person, but that will have to wait for a bit longer.
Some other professional accomplishments seem smaller but still important. I managed to move my in-person workshops for teachers to online, and after the first one being a bit of an experiment they worked out pretty well. I’ve also met some amazing teachers from different parts of the world, and they meet online every two weeks to share teaching ideas and provide each other with feedback. With their help I’ve become a part of an online community of teachers that share free lesson plans and ideas on the website www.freeed.com. As the name suggests, it’s free to join.
In terms of mental health, I feel like I managed the year pretty well. With my therapist’s help, I’ve managed to better manage my anxiety, communicate my needs and wants better with people, and make better decisions about what to do in challenging situations. I also feel like life just “works” more easily and I have a better sense of what I want and deserve in life. I’ve managed to let go of old patterns of thinking related to money and work, and I now buy things that I need or want without feeling guilty or worried about the cost. Halfway through the year my tablet was on its last legs and my phone was slowing down, so I did my research and bought new ones. On my visit home in October/November I also purchased a new computer and the accessories I needed such as a wireless mouse, docking station, and laptop desk. On that same trip I got myself a Nintendo Switch as an early Christmas gift, something that I had been wanting to buy for a while but put off. Last but certainly not least, I bought an air conditioner last week. This is my first time having air conditioning while living in Santiago for over a decade, and it’s making my life so much more comfortable.
What did I learn in 2020?
I think everyone can agree that 2020 was a year like no other that we have experienced. One of the biggest lessons I learned was the importance of being flexible and distinguishing which problems are worth trying to solve and which one are worth letting go of. It has also extended to being flexible and compassionate with myself if I don’t follow through with something I said I would or similar situations. Last year made so many things so difficult, and I feel that giving people a wide margin for a benefit of the doubt really made my life easier.
Another lesson I’ve learned is that I can’t make everyone happy all the time. I find that sometimes I have been too accommodating to students, and in that case it ended up causing problems further down the line. This can be a challenge to balance when you want to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I notice that in times I tend to slip back into people-pleasing mode.
One final lesson that I learned is the importance of taking time away from work. I tend to throw myself into work and neglect my physical health in terms of eating and exercise, which obviously isn’t good. Going into 2021 I want to be more intentional about the number of hours I teach per week as well as being sure to go outside and get some sun.
What are my thoughts and goals at the start of 2021?
Like many people, I’m feeling optimistic. We have a vaccine in parts of the world now, and the end of the pandemic is in sight. It may take until the end of 2021, but that’s ok.
In terms of professional goals, I have the tools I need to teach my classes online, and I’ve invested time in making my apartment a comfortable place to live. I want to maintain my classes, blog, and the podcast, and I’d also like to revamp my previous workshops and make some new ones. I’m planning on taking some more courses, specifically about teaching pronunciation and coaching in order to keep developing my skills. I’m hoping to present at conferences throughout the year too.
In terms of personal goals, I want to be mindful in a few areas: how I spend my time, what I consume in terms of food and entertainment, and how I spend money. I’d like to make sure I stay connected to friends near and far, read more, and move to a larger apartment. I’ve never had anything larger than a 1-bedroom apartment when living on my own, and having an office would be wonderful for being able to separate my work life and personal life.
I’m looking forward to so many things this year: being able to see friends and my students in person again, being able to give people hugs, being able to travel, being able to record our podcast in person, going out to eat, and having friends over for potluck dinners or video game nights are just some of them. In any case, we will need to be patient; despite the challenge, it will be worth the wait.
I hope everyone reading has a wonderful 2021 and that you all stay healthy.
