2020 … oh boy, where to start? One thing can be said right away: 2020 was definitely different for each of us than initially expected. The last year was probably marked by changes and uncertainty for all of us, but I still don’t think that 2020 was all “bad”. In this blog post I would like to review my past year and summarize my most important insights and the best experiences.
Sports
In terms of sports, 2020 was definitely mixed. Since events could not take place this year, the half marathon planned in April and the half-distance triathlon in summer did not take place unfortunately. Although I trained consistently throughout the year, I often had no specific goals (because the events I planned were canceled, among other things). As a result, my performance this year was widely spread:
- In summer I was running faster than ever in my life, but at the same time I was about 6kg lighter than in the past few years.
- As a result, my strength values were quite bad unfortunately, something that I focused on in the second half of the year.
- At the end of 2020: I am stronger than ever and have massively gained strength, especially with squats, but at the same time my running-pace has decreased as well.
Homeoffice
Because of COVID-19, many people started working from home, including myself. Originally I thought to myself that the homeoffice would be great and time-efficient and that’s true so far. The time saved due to the lack of commuting and the flexibility are great.
But after working from home for most of the year, I can also say: It is not a permanent solution for me. The lack of structure (no commuting, smooth transition between work/private life) and the lack of direct contact with colleagues (or other people at all) are things that make me look forward for the day when I can work at the office again.
Paragliding
Even if I had to discard my initial plans for vacation, I made good use of my vacation this year and fulfilled a childhood dream. In summer I started my paragliding training and almost finished it (a big thanks at this point for the weather that crossed my plans).
This is something I would probably never have done if I hadn’t been forced to make good use of my already approved 1-month vacation. Something like that shows me over and over again that no matter how negative a situation may seem, something positive can always emerge – it’s all up to your own attitude.
University
In autumn, I successfully completed my part-time bachelor’s degree in business informatics after the default study period of 4 1/2 years. After such a long time, it was almost surreal to have finally achieved my preliminary goal. But that’s just the beginning and I’m already studying for the corresponding master’s course!
Vegan/Vegetarian
One of the biggest changes in 2020 was my diet. At the end of last year I started to eat vegan, which I continued for a large part of the year. Towards the end of the year, I added some foods to my diet and switched to a vegetarian diet though. However, around 80% of my diet is still purely vegan.
If you want to know more about this decision let me know in the comments, then I’ll be happy to cover it in a separate blog post!
Conclusion
If there is one thing I have learned during the past year, it is that a situation is what you make of it. Even if it is often difficult not to become pessimistic during a global pandemic, to be annoyed about changed plans for your vacation or to miss meeting relatives and friends in person, it is all the more important not to despair. Instead of indulging in a negative rut, look ahead and make the most of the situation. This often results in unplanned, but potentially equally beautiful alternatives!
With this in mind: Stay healthy and have a “better” New Year 2021!