11 Things I learned in 2011

In 2011 I achieved a lot but thanks to job loss and things most of my goals may as well never have been set. That didn’t stop me from aiming for some of them and doing what I could and I still learned a lot. It just didn’t go as planned.

So what did I learn in 2011? Here are 11 things I learnt…

1.) Learn to adapt
I set out with big plans for 2011. What I did not expect was for my husband to have no work, both of us to struggle to find work, medical issues and more. Despite all that, we made it through, adapted our lifestyle to our situations and pushed harder to make sure we did not lose our house, found ways to do stuff for free and increase our income, despite there being limited job opportunities.

2.) Free stuff is everywhere
Having no job and relying heavily on government benefits was not easy and actually made us quite creative in finding free stuff. Everything from food sources to entertainment. We were amazed at just how much we were able to get and do for free and I know we could have done more if needed/desired.

3.) Health is crucial
At the end of 2010 we found out I have borderline personality disorder, which changed things a little for us in 2011 as it requires therapy which is not cheap. On top of that my father shattered his pelvis, numerous people we know have been diagnosed with cancer (some have recovered, others have not much time left) and other friends were affected by other health issues. Our health is so important, yet we take it the most for granted.

4.) Aim high
I set high goals for 2011 and while somethings didn’t work out, without aiming high I never would have achieved what I did. The higher you aim, the further you stretch yourself. This doesn’t work for everyone, but I know that if I set my limits really high and don’t quite get there, I still get more achieved than if I set my sights low.

5.) Job loss can happen to anyone, any time
It was a shock to us to have no work. We both have qualifications that usually would mean we would always be employed. For some reason this year, it just was not so and despite finding work here and there, nothing was consistent and for much of 2011 we were technically an unemployed family who were pretty poor.

(Yes I did get a book deal and my book came out July 2011, but I do not get royalties until 2012).

6.) Situations may be out of your control, but you control how you deal with them
Despite not being able to do much about losing jobs, applying for many but not getting any and other situations such as that we found ourselves in, we chose to stay positive. It was not easy. We got knocked around a fair bit in 2011, but we quickly learnt that wallowing in the self pity of it all is not productive and will not change our situation. Being proactive and choosing the positive in negative situations, doing what we can to change things is what got us through one of our toughest years yet.

7.) If you want something, go for it
I wanted to do freelance writing, be an author and international public speaker. I managed to do all these things in 2011. If I had not started my blog, sought opportunities and put it out there that this is what I want, I would not have been able to do these things.

8.) You set your own limits
How much you achieve is mostly determined by you. Circumstances may change and make things harder, but it is your persistence and determination that will be the main difference between what you achieve and what you don’t.

9.) Opportunities are everywhere
The amount of things I have achieved this year has been incredible. This year was hard, but I received many opportunities which pretty much balance out any bad parts of the year. Until I looked back over the year I didn’t realize just how out of the ordinary 2011 was and how many things happened for and to me that others only dream of.

10.) Our thoughts affect our actions
I am not great at positive thinking. It is something I have to work on every day. I do know for sure that when I am thinking positively and looking for ways to make money/improve my situation I see them. I am also more likely to go after things I would not consider doing if I were thinking negatively about myself.

11.) There are lots of ways to make money
Having virtually no work for much of this year made my husband and I get creative with ways to make money and there are a lot more ways than you think! Think outside the square and see what you can come up with.

So what did you learn in 2011?