I don’t know about you but I’m not ready for any more lessons on life skills! 2020 has finally come to an end, and we are all ready for the New Year to kick in. Well, let’s hope it doesn’t actually kick… A shimmy or a slide would be more appropriate after everything that we just went through!
As much as I joke about this, there were quite a few blessings in disguise that you may or may not have missed this year. Yes, we cried. Yes, we broke things. And we surely got bored… But amidst all of that turmoil, there were several silver linings.
I’ve seen a few bloggers posting about lessons they learned or achievements they made in 2020. So, I decided to hop on the bandwagon – with a twist. Today we will be covering the life skills that this historic year has blessed us with. Of course, everyone’s journey has been different, but there are bound to be a few things we share in common.
Here are some of the life skills that I learnt in 2020:

Cooking – the queen of all life skills!
It almost seemed comical when countries closed their borders. Then people stopped going into the office. And then liquor stores were banned from selling alcohol in South Africa! To this day, I still haven’t identified the link between the pandemic and alcohol. But whoever made that decision must know why they did it!
When lockdown level 5 took effect in South Africa, restaurants and grocery stores were also banned from selling hot food. This is another one of those things that still doesn’t make sense to me, but we rolled with it anyway. Many people quickly started posting exciting recipes of interesting things they learned to make. Some people made bread, others made fancy dishes, and some… learned to boil eggs! It sounds funny to say, but this was the best lesson for anyone who thought they could get by without learning to cook. Guys, it’s not a woman’s chore, it’s a life skill!
Patience really is a virtue
For us in South Africa, lockdown level 5 began towards the end of March and boy were we excited. I personally hadn’t thought about the repercussions, you know, of having a toddler at home full time. So when the reality hit, boy did it hit hard! So after about one week, it finally kicked in that I would be picking up after a busy-body for four more weeks! As a parent, I gained a new appreciation for the teachers who spend hours with our kids.
With many personal projects put on hold, it was a must to be patient. I was of the school of thought that if I noticed something had not been done, then it was already late. One thing I realised during this period is that even if things didn’t happen yesterday (as they should’ve) tomorrow is still a viable option. It sucks, but the world won’t stop if you don’t get your phone contract set up in two hours. The world will also not stop if your internet is down for a day.
After a full year of canceled trips, delayed projects, and several other frustrations, we can all claim a black belt in patience.
Saving is possible
It’s really a no-brainer that if you don’t go out often, you can save more money. But if that is the case, why did it take the world drawing to a halt for us to truly internalise this logic? Personally, my spending reduced significantly during lockdown because of the uncertainty. The uncertainty of whether I would still have a job in a few months’ time. The worry of heading to the stores and not finding enough food. And the realisation that many of the daily luxuries were not as crucial.
Although I did not really save enough to take me on a trip around the world, living in lockdown has taught me some valuable lessons. One of these life skills is that regardless of how little you have, you can still find more ways to drop your cost of living. It may not always seem like it since we keep chasing for more, but there are always some luxuries that you can cut out.
Entertainment without a cost is possible
Before 2020, many of us believed that we needed to get out of our comfort zones in order to find new hobbies. While that still proves to be true, this year has definitely debunked the theory that you actually have to ‘get out’. Besides the new bakers and home chefs that have popped up everywhere, others have tapped into writing and reading. Even though writing is my passion, Growing With Spawn only happened because of the pandemic. I doubt it would have materialised otherwise! But it is not just me who feels this way. Several other bloggers have mentioned that they started their blogs or written novels due to the pandemic.
Of course, there is a price to almost everything we do nowadays, breathing included. But the point is that you don’t need to rent a jet-ski or jump out of a plane to have fun. In fact, a lot of these new hobbies that have popped up may actually be better for our mental stimulation. So not only were you saving money, but you were also getting smarter. How cool is that?!
Afterthoughts
The year finally came to a close, the vaccine is being deployed and life should go back to normal. Well, in South Africa, we have a new variant of the virus that might make the cycle restart! Whether or not this upcoming year is better, I will hold onto the belief that there is always something new to learn. How about you?
I haven’t really learnt any new life skills – I have just learnt to survive through it all – the good and the bad! 🙂
I did manage to save money but I think that was more forced than out of choice. 😛
Hopefully 2021 will be a year of growth for me. 🙂
Forced or not, your bank account probably loves you for it! Also, survival is a skill 😉
as hard and horrible as it has been for many reasons, I’m happy to see your positives. all challenges cause change, and for me, I loved the slowing down of busy lives, I saw this with my students and their families, as well as my own. a return to spending more time together, without worrying where else one need be, or what they need to do.
I’m glad this wasn’t everything I achieved in 2020 and that you found a positive spin. The part about hobbies is so true. The main skill I have learnt is survival and to keep on picking yourself up when you fall down 💕 xx
Picking yourself up every time you fall down is probably more than most of us will ever learn! Embrace it, you’ve done so well 💖
One of the most recent lessons I have learned is a little more personal I guess. I am passive aggressive when I am angry or upset. Instead of saying ‘I feel like a.b.c……because’ I will snipe something like ‘I will ask for a card to get in because it seems to bother you so much to have to let me in.’ Found out a friend instead of telling me he was going away this weekend with his girlfriend I learned about it in our mutual group we are in. And while we are not in a relationship we are friend friends it still really hurt that he had not been upfront with me. When saying good morning this morning I was short and snippy. I realized it and went back to explain that it hurt me to find out this way. As well as in the group about their relationship. It is easier to pretend that feelings don’t exist than actually deal with them. However you asked what I learned. And it took me until Dec. 28/9 to even make that connection. And I cried. I thought I was crying because of the hurt that I was feeling but I think I was crying for myself and this truth that I am assimilating. LOL I have done it again love absconded with your comment section and my stories. Have a wonderful day. Might be a good idea to just go ahead and get the coffee before you read my comments. 🙂
I’m not sure I’ve learned any life skills but I have learned the value of slowing down and appreciating the little things in life.
For our young people, although they might not realize it now, adapting to online learning is a valuable life skill. The ability to be a lifelong learner will be critical to their future employability and survival, more than it has been for any previous generation. Most of that learning doesn’t take place in a classroom.
Omg patience, this year. But during this quiet time I am taking the opportunity to reflect on aspect of life this year. Netflix is so good. But i do miss going to events and live entertainment. Guess zooming will be around for a very long time (zoom). I am still trying to get and type up blog posts, so January I don’t have to do too much and focus energies on other things.
Here in the UK —we have the same variant of the virus, so that’s a worry. But trust me about “patience” and “cooking”.
I love this post✨🤗 xx
Thanks for reading Shahrin!
I hate to say it but I think you guys got it from us 🙈 All the same, more lessons to learn with the extended lockdown, I suppose?
Very nice. Great life lessons here. I too hope that each of us and the world can not only hang on to important lessons but keep moving forward in the good ones. Thanks for a great post and Happy New (almost) Year! Jane
I loved this post! I think a life skill I learnt is the importance of perspective and taking a step back, putting things in perspective has helped me stay sane for sure!
That’s awesome! Perspective is definitely important… mine changes based on my mood 😅
I guess I’ll stop renting jet skis and skydiving…haha kidding. I’m really frugal 🙂
Hahaha part of me wonders if you are really joking! 😅
Those are pretty amazing lessons!! I don’t think I’ve picked up anything new, but I’ve definitely realised a lot many things and I’m grateful for many of them. Best wishes for 2021! Let’s hope it slides smoothly 😂
Lol I’m sure you’ve learnt something, even if it’s to sleep a little longer or to smile a little more 😅
I’ll get the wheels ready if you hold the door!
Oh, I meant as in ‘life skills’😂
Have a lovely year ahead!
I was writing my blog before the pandemic. However, I’ve started to learn about promoting it more. 😀
Thats awesome! I guess you’re the exception 😂
Yeah, patience is definitely one that I can say I had to learn. Prior to the start of the pandemic, I was used to having the house to myself all day for almost 9 months. Everyone doing school and working from home shook up everything I’d gotten used to.
I’m grateful that my family and I went through the process of paying off our debt many years ago, so the saving part was something we were already used to. However, my husband no longer having to pay for parking five days a week for work, plus the need for less gas in the car was a huge blessing!
There is always something new to learn and if we can’t appreciate the virus for any other reason, I’ll definitely tip my hat to it for that.
For me it was slowing down!
I love this post because it is a fresher perspective on this year. Congratulations on your growth this year! I am particularly grateful that you started your blog and we found you. On to a better year!
Slowing down to enjoy life and making time for self-care.
That’s amazing!