We welcomed the new decade 2020 with lots of plans: to travel, excel at studies, grow at work, relationships, finances and more. What comes to mind when you take stock of how much progress you’ve made on those ambitions and plans? We remember the lifestyle changes we made – work from home, home schooling, more time for friends and family, new ways of celebrating (Zoom birthday parties & graduations), taking nothing for granted (takeaways from fine-dining restaurants anyone?) and some unpleasant memories of losing a loved one to the pandemic.
We look forward to 2021 helping us find a way to a new ‘normal’
We would like to reflect on our learnings as individuals from this past challenging year:
Health is wealth – this is never going to be a cliché saying anymore. Instead, it is a lesson learnt, unfortunately for some in a hard way. But it is never too late to take charge of our physical and mental health. Many of us embarked on the ‘healthy body & mind’ journey. Give your body and mind a chance to be ready to fight for you when you need it to!
Family is forever – remember, family is not only people who share your blood. We strengthened our bond with our people, our loved and trusted ones. More than ever, we deserve to pamper ourselves with each other’s love and care.
Save for the rainy day – again, this has a new meaning for many of us now. How many of us thought we were in control of our future? We had our lives planned out and right on track. Then we were hit with the longest rainy day imaginable in the form of this pandemic. Loss of job became a reality for millions, along with provisioning for difficult times or another pandemic.
The pandemic has been a great leveller. Our perspective of who and what really matters for us to function as individuals and society has changed. The world learnt a new definition of what it means to be truly developed. We are all fortunate to be in Germany with a sound healthcare ecosystem (hospitals, insurance etc.) and a social setup that cares for and supports people in tough times like these.
2021 will be unpredictable both for individuals and businesses
We would like to plan and set some goals, yet again, for the new year. This time, we hope it’s going to be different – but how can we know? Let’s discuss it:
- Take care of and improve your physical and mental well-being – get regular health checkups and check if your insurance covers for preventive interventions.
- Establish a good work-life balance to ensure spending time with loved ones.
- Gain knowledge or learn a new skill.
- Review and fine-tune your financial health and readiness to handle any future exigency. Revisit your expenses on insurance and financial instruments.
- Plan for your retirement – it’s never too early to start, securing a safe future.
- Celebrate and appreciate the small victories in life.