As 2020 is wrapping up in a month, I thought of reflecting on this year and the things I could have avoided or done differently…and it wasn’t long after that when I came up with a list of mistakes that I had committed in the past eleven months to help you in skillfully avoiding making the same mistakes as me. :))

So, without wasting time, let’s get into it!

Top mistakes that I did in 2020!

1. Thinking Too Much and Not Taking Action.

This year was filled with overthinking a lot of things and being still when I should have been moving ahead and not paying heed to the past. One of the biggest challenges for me was to let go of replaying the old scenarios that did nothing good for me.  

And when I started listening to my soul and doing what I wanted to, things started to change for the better. Guess, progressing the tiniest of bit is still better than making no progress at all. :))

2. Getting Influenced by Other People’s Opinion.

Nobody knows what is best for you except yourself.

At times, not even your parents will know what is best for you and it’s totally fine if they cannot see the things that you have envisioned for yourself. Know your purpose, and know why you gotta do things the way you want to, and remember that you do not owe the world an explanation for that. Keep doing what makes you feel alive! 🙂

Digressing, there was a time in my life when my English teacher, in one of the monthly PTMs, told my parents that my English wasn’t good and I needed to work on that tremendously. My parents didn’t reply to her and left the place soon.

…And exactly two years later, she comes up to me telling me that she had read my recent article in the school magazine and found it to be really good. (Uhmm… wasn’t she the same person who claimed my language skills to be trash?)

Well, the point is, if I had deeply ingrained her words into my mind that day in the PTM, then I never would have been able to make it this far.

One more incident that I can recall was also associated with one of my English teachers in school who had refused to let me take part in the school assembly.

“But, Aditi, you’re too spot-spoken to speak in the assembly,” She had said to me.

I didn’t refute her at the time and walked back to my seat. But in the next term, I decided to ask her for one last time, and luckily she gave in to my requests.

After the assembly ended, it turned out that she had all the wrong notions about me all along–and I was able to ace that speech!

Related: How to Overcome Stage Fear? – A Detailed Guide

Well, these two incidences, if nothing, taught me at least one more lesson- to try and become the guiding light of the students, rather than pointing out their insecurities. :))

3. Not Believing in My Potential.

Undervaluing and overvaluing yourself, come with a price.

When you undervalue yourself you miss out on a lot of opportunities because you think you are not good enough. And when you overvalue yourself, you become smug and start acting from a place of ego which may cause more problems.

So the question arises “What to Do?”

After a period of not acknowledging the potential I had, I finally found an answer to this question–to strike a balance between undervaluing and overvaluing yourself.

I’m humble but I’m also aware of my value.

^{– Chris Sain Jr.}

4. Turning a Blind Eye to Red Signals.

Now, the red signals won’t just start appearing in front of you out of nowhere. And neither would an angel visit you in your dreams warning you to stay out of some BS.

So, if not all the things mentioned above aren’t gonna happen, then how would you spot a red signal?

Well, there is something called “Gut Instincts.” These are the instincts that you first get about something or someone.

Trust your gut. Your gut feelings are usually accurate and correct. If you truly feel there’s something, chances are there is.

^{– Unknown}

When I look back at my past, I could have escaped a couple of troubles had I acted upon my “gut instincts” rather than ignoring the signs.

Trust me, your gut and intuition are there for a reason, and they will rarely mislead you.

5. Indefinite Sleeping Schedule.

The lockdowns have worsened my sleep cycles.

It has been years since I have slept like a normal human being. Even if I do, the practice doesn’t last for a very long time and reverts to what it was before. And, so yeah, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that my ever-fluctuating sleeping schedule is a problem not just for me but also for the people around me.

I’m trying my best to establish a proper routine that I can stick to every single day so as to battle my sleep irregularities.

P.S. this is the only mistake in this list that I’m quite unapologetic for (at least for now at least). 😛

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Hope you found this post interesting!

I’d be glad if this article helps in adding even the tiniest bit of value to your life. Till then, you can stay tuned for the second blog post in this series- “5 Lessons I Learned in 2020!”

Much Love,

BTW, what are the Top 5 Mistakes that you made this year? Don’t forget to put YOUR answers in the comments down below! 😉

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