2020: A Positive Review

Prologue

2020 has undoubtedly been an objectively shit year. The Covid pandemic has been responsible for taking the lives of loved ones and the civil liberties of the general population. It has pushed the NHS to breaking point and made it illegal to hug a loved one or share a pint with a close friend. It has been a year unlike any other (for this generation) and most people will be aching to return to some sense of normality.

Despite the obvious circumstances this blog is about me taking some time to celebrate the positives from this year, and there are many!!!

Working Life

2020 has enforced a culture of working from home. Now that the kids are back at school this means that, without a commute to and from work for my wife and I, we get to spend more time each day with our crazy little family. We have three young boys who are growing up so fast so this truly is a blessing and probably the most positive impact of Covid.

Someone at work described the extended period of seeing your colleagues working from their home surroundings as 'a humanising experience' and I couldn't agree more. Throughout this year we have made more of an effort to plan social events at work (quiz's etc) and it's been great to see work colleagues getting their kids or partners involved and even just to see people in their natural environment where you see another side of the people you work with.

Also throughout this year the old cliche of desperate times call for desperate measures certainly rings true. This year has been a challenging experience however the way in which our wider team at work have all pulled together throughout and supported each other has been incredible. It's great to sit back and reflect at the end of the year because it's been an eye-opening yet obvious reminder of what a great team of people I work with.

Science

The speed at which a vaccine has been created, tested, and approved has been phenomenal and is a real-world example of how science and technology has improved in our lifetime. It's taken less than a year to produce a vaccine that would have previously taken ~10 years.

Another personal highlight occurred in May when SpaceX successfully launched the first private vehicle delivering astronauts to the International Space Station which was streamed live and was absolutely fascinating to watch.

The Big Screen

2020 saw the release of some incredible TV and movies. Personal highlights include; Tenet, The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Undoing, The Boys (Season Two), Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet (the lockdown episode is incredible), and Ted Lasso is the by far the biggest surprise of the year, it's an absolute gem of a show.

If you take nothing else from this blog then watch Ted Lasso, even if you have absolutely no interest in football, you won't be disappointed.

Hobbies

I've blogged before about Karate (previous blog is HERE), and whilst I started going to karate in September of 2019, I've really got into it in 2020. I can't recommend it highly enough to anyone who has an interest and has been thinking about going. It's a great metaphor for life; teaching discipline and respect, mastery of a useful skill, it promotes mental wellbeing, teaches you how to teach yourself, push yourself, and improve yourself, it's great for fitness and most of all it's fun.

In 2020 I also bought my piece of Virtual Reality (VR) kit, the Oculus Quest 2. Again I would highly recommend it. I've now got a group of friends who all have an Oculus Quest and in these times of social restrictions we're able to catch up in a virtual world, playing paintball, boxing, fishing together or even watching a film together. The technology is so immersive that you really feel every game you play. Thrill of the Fight (boxing game) is the perfect example of this although I can only play for about 15 minutes before I need a break and to get changed from my sweat-covered clothes!

Zoom calls. This has been a game-changer. Every other week I have a catch up with some really good friends I've known since school. We have a few drinks, catch up, play a game or do a quiz and always have plenty of laughs. Two of them live in London now (I live in Manchester) and the question we all ask ourselves is why did it take the lockdown for us to think of doing this? We will undoubtedly carry this forward into next year.

Politics

I don't like talking openly about politics as it seems to cause nothing but grief, however I think most people who are able to think critically and objectively would agree that Donald Trump losing the election is a major positive for the USA and the rest of the world. Enough said on that topic...

Podcasts

In a quest to think more open-mindedly, to become more mentally resilient, to be more positive, to learn more, and also to live a happier life I've really started listening to podcasts this year. Mainly Joe Rogan, Sam Harris, and Lex Fridman, or variations of podcasts featuring guests that have appeared on those shows that I've found interesting. I've also been listening to the works of Alan Watts after being recommended to his lectures by a friend which I would highly recommend.

My areas of interest are science and technology, artificial intelligence, making the most of your time/energy, maintaining attention, thought experiments (such as simulation theory), finding inner peace, and learning how to learn effectively.

For 2021 I'd like to explore the subject and application of meditation. Let's see how it goes.

Epilogue

2020 has been a particularly strange year and for me personally the biggest challenge has been the lack of social interaction (there is no real substitute for spending real time amongst real people), however it has by no means been a write-off.

It's in times like this that small things make a big difference; WhatsApp groups with friends to maintain contact and keep the 'banter' going are invaluable, Zoom calls with friends and loved ones, getting out into nature and going for a walk, spending time with the family, and making time for yourself.

Look after yourselves, be kind to each other, and watch Ted Lasso.

Big Love

Rob