I Used 2020 To Change My Life. Here Is How I Plan To Capitalize On It In 2021.
Hey! Thanks for stopping by to read my article. I want to chat about my 2020 and the massive change I made and how I plan to capitalize on that in 2021. But before I continue, if you’re reading this, I hope you are well and I hope your family and friends are happy and healthy. ❤️
2020 started out like many of the other years in my 20s. I was working a job I didn’t like for way too little money. I felt stuck and there was no way out. I was getting paid just enough to live pay check to pay check but not much more to save and transition to the life I wanted to live. Then 2020 started. I remember being at work and looking at the world wide Covid cases and it sat at a cool 39,000. Deaths were just under 600. At the time, those numbers were interesting but nothing compared to what we are seeing now.
It was only a matter of time before myself and many others lost their jobs. It was kind of crazy actually. At the time, I had two jobs. One of the jobs paid out the employees for the rest of the month of April (for the shifts we were scheduled for). The other job basically said “good luck”. This infuriated me and really opened my eyes to how disposable I was as an employee at this company. Sitting on my couch with no job and not allowed to go outside, I began thinking. Is this going to be the change I’ve been waiting for? NAHHHHH. I took this “temporary layoff” like many people did, as a mini vacation from work. But things got worse. That 39,000 number began to rise. That 600 number began to double, triple and quadruple. Things were getting serious and here in British Columbia, Canada and they decided to mandate everyone staying inside.
What about our jobs? How will we have money to buy food? How will we pay rent? At first, all of these questions were up in the air. But Canada came in clutch with CERB. If you’re not from Canada, it’s basically a $2,000 taxable monthly stimulus check. Honestly, my first thought was “it’s time to buy an xbox” 😆. Yeah seriously. I didn’t think this was going to last more than a month or two and what better way to past the time than with video games. BUT, something else clicked. It’s like one of those situations where you have a good you and a bad you on each shoulder. The good me was saying, “use this time to get a skill and escape the job you don’t like”. The bad me was saying, “nahhh, take some time off and enjoy this money”.
Deep down inside, I knew this could be it. This could be the chance I was waiting for. The government was literally giving you money and asking one thing in return, stay home. I could do that. Easy. I’m young, I’m healthy, I don’t live with anyone so I won’t be putting anyone at risk. All I had to do was provide my bank details and stay my butt inside. I did that and I learned how to code. I started off taking courses on Udemy. I learned HTML & CSS and eventually wanted more. I wanted to make this into a career. I had an income but was staying at home. I could pay my bills but learn how to code. Fast forward to June and I am enrolling in a coding bootcamp. After 3 gruelling months, I graduate.
The job search was tough, but I eventually found a position that was perfect for me and accepted it. By December I had completely changed my life and set myself up for a life in a career that allowed me all I wanted and more. I was able to work from anywhere (with a wifi connection) in tech.
So how will I capitalize on this in 2021? Well, here’s three ways.
1. I plan to keep learning.
The only reason I was able to make this change was I wasn’t afraid to learn something new. Coding was new to me and most of the time I had no idea what I was doing. But the reason I was able to learn and get a job was I kept learning. The constant drive to learn is the secret sauce to life. If you’re always curious and asking questions, you will always be growing. That, in my opinion, is what life is all about.
2. I plan to keep prioritizing.
I had to prioritize changing my life to make something happen. For so long I was complacent with where I was and I didn’t think I needed to make a change. I didn’t put a happy, financially stable and enjoyable life as a priority. I was just surviving. I heard a quote once that I think really described my situation well.
“Change happens when the pain of staying the same becomes more than the pain of change”.
3. I plan to keep growing.
This ties in with number one. I plan to keep growing. Growth is what it’s all about. We all start this life in vastly different ways. As we get older we naturally grow and become our own person. Sometimes though, and I know this personally, you get complacent. You don’t grow anymore and you settle. Pardon my French but that sh*t kills. Being okay with living pay check to pay check eats away at you slowly from the inside. It stresses you out and we all know how bad stress can be.
To conclude, the big picture is the world is in a terrible place and many people are dying. I know how bad things are for so many people and I hope for this to come to an end as much as everyone else does. I just found that by doing my part, staying home and wearing a mask outside, I can contribute to bringing this pandemic to an end. I just figured in the meantime, why don’t I change my life and begin a new career?
Thanks for reading. Hoping for a safe, happy and healthy 2021 for you and your family. ❤️
