I think many of us can agree that 2020 hasn’t been the best year so far. For most, it’s been an emotional year with many lows. With the COVID pandemic, it’s for sure been a challenging ride. For some, it’s been composed of some small victories of their own. The current situation in the world has been tough on everyone, and some might feel as if it’s insensitive to celebrate these small victories.
I’m lucky enough to have small victories of my own this year. I have to admit, 2019 was personally one of the worst years of my life, and I couldn’t be happier about the year ending back then. But just like everyone else, I didn’t know that 2020 would turn out like this.
The past few months, I feel like I’ve grown in many aspects of my life to the point that January 2020 me and current me aren’t the same person. However, seeing many people battle their own struggles makes me rethink whether I should outwardly celebrate these victories. 2020 has also been tough on me, but I don’t want that amount of negativity to consume me to the point that I don’t acknowledge all the good that’s happened.
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Now, this is not to create a message of toxic positivity (which is a whole other discussion itself). I don’t want to say, “stay positive” or “just be happy” because I know that it isn’t possible for everyone. Rather, I want others not to feel bad for celebrating small victories. People who have achieved these victories have probably worked hard for it and are proud of themselves for doing so.
I have achieved some things this year that I’m very proud of. These are things that I wouldn’t even think of achieving last year. For example, finishing a book or making a habit of working out are little victories to celebrate while in midst of the pandemic. Though these might seem small in the grander scheme of things, if they are important to you then they count as little victories. Some people may be battling a lot of anxious thoughts amid everything that’s happening. For them, the simple act of getting out of bed every morning is enough to be celebrated. They could also be as little as making a nice meal for yourself. All those count.
These little victories are what keep us going. It’s not a “light at the end of the tunnel” solution, but it keeps us on our feet. The quarantine and the pandemic isn’t a productivity race, but there are little things that motivate us to at least not be consumed by all the bad things that are happening.
Things are heavy for everyone right now, and we don’t know the next thing 2020 is going to throw at us. However, celebrating these small victories gives us some perspective of how we can still continue to grow despite everything that’s happening. It’s a reminder that even though most things have been put to a stop, it doesn’t mean that we can’t continue to move forward.
How do you celebrate your small victories?
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