In retrospect

Spend time wisely2020 has taught me to reexamine my priorities I have realised that for me health family and my loved ones take top place Everything else is transient As the Bhagavad Gita saysWhat is yours today belonged to someone else yesterday and will belong to someone else the day after tomorrow You are mistakenly enjoying thethought that this is yours It is this false happiness that is the cause of your sorrows In a world where nothing is certain it is important to spend your time wisely and be humbleAkhil Kumar boxerSet a routineThis year has taught me the importance of being able to adapt and the need for balance As an entrepreneur I was involved in launching a company in the midst of the lockdown We must be able to look for opportunities and innovate As a working parent Ive found that it is important to lay down some structure in your routine and for your child mdash this can give you the time and peace of mind to manage your multiple responsibilities Finally it is important to not be too hard on yourself and to stop chasing an ideal instead do the best with what you haveFatema Agarkar educationist and founder of Agarkar Centre of ExcellenceAdaptability is keyIn June and July when my school closed for our summer break I suddenly had a complete void in my daily routine I couldnt go out socialise or do anything productive However I realised the importance of keeping up your momentum and not letting yourself slide into complacency mdash this can rapidly escalate into a downward spiral It is important to have an adaptive mindset to create opportunities During these months I decided to seek other meaningful pursuitsSalil Jain studentBe gratefulThis year has taught me the importance of gratitude In the past I would often fail to acknowledge my own happiness because I would always focus on my problems I have learned to appreciate the present for what it is and to be grateful for everything I have This also gives me the fortitude to face tough times and know that they too shall passAaron Sequeira songwriterPerspective mattersThis year has brought about a marked change in my perspective on problems In 2020 weve been called upon to make defining decisions at the spur of the moment with no data at hand This is completely unlike how we would usually operate In turn I have realised that many challenges that may have seemed critical in the past are not that urgent or allconsuming after allNiranjan Nakhate cofounder of FrappThe pandemic has humbled all of us as human beings We often take in our achievements and worldly accomplishments This year has reduced us to the basics and to rethink our realities As a professional I have become much more empathetic to my patientsneeds Watching pregnant women being refused admission to hospitals and having to run from pillar to post to deliver safely was heartwrenching I have realised the immense importance of having a social support system the importance of touch conversations and gatherings in ensuring mental wellbeingDr Vaishali Joshi senior gynaecologist at Kokilaben Ambani HospitalLet creative juices flowThe most crucial lesson Ive learned this year is that constraints breed creativity and that disruptions can take you much further than the regular course My company created and released our first lockdown show where we shot with actors in their own homes using their own cell phone cameras We could have never imagined that this was possible but now we know we can 2020 has taught me to think disruptively and creativelyGourav Rakshit COO of Viacomm 18Keep Plan B readyProfessionally Ive found that my clients are increasingly investing in their personal wellbeing and spaces and are trying to incorporate elements that will make them more independent and resilient in case of contingencies There is a growing awareness about the importance of having a Plan B so you are prepared for the unpredictable This stems from all of us looking inwards and understanding what is important to us On the personal front this year has helped me to bond more strongly with my children and prioritise the time I spend with them instead of only focusing on my clients and deliverablesRajiv Parekh founding partner at Red Architects