2020 has been extremely hard on all of us. For sure, this 2021, many of us would be holding onto “2021, please be good to me” along with this hopeful mantra we keep every year. It’s also worth considering that 2021 is still going to be challenging.
But for me, 2021 is still going to be the year of healing from the wounds that 2020 inflicted, which is why you should also focus on discovering how to make 2021 your year of resilience.
Are you ready to take on the beginning of the new normal?
On Business
You have probably been thinking of opening your own small business once or twice during this quarantine or maybe you have even opened one!
2021 is a fresh start, which is why it’s also a good time to start a business. This is because you have most likely seen trends come and go during the quarantine. With all that information you have, you can plan better and have a more productive 2021!
Apart from managing Femmedia, my Digital Marketing Agency, I opened 2 more microbusinesses along the way.
1. Vanity Beauty- I decided to open a beauty online supply store that caters to various products from cosmetics, beauty-- anything beauty related
2. Spice Chili- with my loving partner, Jerico, we opened a small online store that sells various chili products. We have Spicy Chili Garlic Oil and Carolina Reaper Oil for starters. Soon we'll be selling chili pods and other spice chili related products.
Wanting to start a business? Here are few tips I can give you for starters:
Manage your time.
This was the hardest for me to do; juggling work, studies, and businesses. Sure enough, sleeping for 8 hours was not on my list. This is why before you start any business, you must make sure you have enough time on your hands to get everything done. A business is really a demanding part of your life, but it’s really worth it.
Do your research first.
Know what you can do that fits the people’s demand. A product may be nice, but it also has to be marketable. Doing market research is vital to determine your target audience. Starting small would be nice because you could get loyal customers.
Take it from me: When thinking of a product/service apart from thinking about what's on-trend, make sure to provide solutions to your potential customers.
Keep track of your finances.
From my own experience, one of the most confusing areas before when I started the business was handling my finances. Make sure you have an organized record of all your expenses, income, and others. There are a lot of free websites online that can help you manage your bookkeeping.
On Making Decisions
Since 2020 has robbed us of so many opportunities and moments in life, we are most likely channeling all our optimism in 2021. Despite this, we should remember that 2021 is still a year of healing. Along with this, it is important that all of the decisions we make are well thought of.
If we want to try doing something new, we should assess all the factors of our life that would be adjusted.
When making a decision, think it over more than twice. Would it be good for you? Would it be beneficial in the future? Is this something you’re going to be happy with? Remember, your happiness and well-being should be a priority over anything else. 2021 should be a year of resilience, not another year of pain for you.
Every decision counts this 2021 because these are what pave the path to how our year will play out. Since we experienced the unexpected events of 2020, it’s important that we remember the future when we make decisions. This is why we should be careful in making decisions to avoid any regrets and be consistent with healing.
On Finances
I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who’s had a hard time controlling impulse buys during the quarantine. Online shopping has become quite addicting, right?
Major expenses
Education
As parents, we should always have prepared funds for our child’s education. During quarantine, some schools lowered their tuition and other fees. Until the quarantine is over, I'm sure that parents like me will still enrol their kids in homeschooling/online learning and it's not never a doubt that this will be the same learning environment for our kids for the coming academic year.
Save.Save.Save
To be honest, this is my top priority for 2021- Edmund will be starting schooling this next academic year, and mind you guys, I was surprised how much tuition fee costs nowadays for Pre-School- it such a terrible headache.
Insurance
One of the big things I learned from a lot of research is that we always have to be insured. Whether it’s for life, property, or cars, it’s better to have insurance. This will also help us save up in the future from unexpected expenses. You would thank yourself for this.
Emergency Funds
We never know when an emergency will happen. This is why saving up for sudden events such as sickness or accidents is important. It's important to be more proactive and keep more money for a rainy day just to make sure.
When one of my family members got covid, our emergency funds were really washed out. Imagine waiting in a hospital isolation room for 5 hours will cost us 12,000 (more or less)- this is something we should really be prepared for.
Savings
I remember that I used to think that emergency funds and savings were the same when I was younger. Now, thankfully, I’m wiser. Your emergency funds should be different from your savings because what else would you have by the time it runs out?
Remember that you always have to plan for the future. This is why you should allot some of your income to savings as well. This is for your future, your family’s future, or some expenses for your occasional leisure.
Utilities and everyday expenses
Of course, as adults, we have to deal with everyday expenses and utilities. Have you received your monthly bills yet?
As prices go up now more than ever, then it's necessary to cut down costs on unnecessary spending may it be online shopping or ordering takeaways for leisure.
On Relationships
Ah, yes. When you think about making 2021 your year of resilience, it also may be your year for relationships. Seeing the overflow in quaranflings over the lockdown, I picked up a few learnings:
First, it’s important that you love yourself so others would love you the right way. Never seek a relationship in hopes of validation or attention. You’re a queen and you should be treated as such. Remember that. It’s 2021 already, enough with the bad boys and toxic relationships. Know your worth and invest in a relationship worthy of your time and effort.
Second, communication is the key to any healthy relationship. This what Eco and I's relationship is all about- open communication.
Having constant and open communication won't just be helpful for your relationship but also for you. Now that more and more people are stuck in their homes, the last thing we should do is talk to them as much as you can. This will strengthen their relationship and connection.
Lastly, keep only healthy relationships in your life. This tip applies to platonic and familial relations. In order to remain resilient, cut off all the toxic parts of your life. Make sure you’re focusing on your growth and on your relationship with yourself too.
2021 is going to be your year of healing. Claim it and work your way to it.
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