How to Reflect on 2020

**All DEUCE Gyms will be closed tomorrow Dec. 31st and Friday Jan. 1st**

With the end of 2020, we’re seeing the annual recap in so many different ways. Folks will post their year in review via photos on social media, which others will list their favorite moments or assign “Best of 2020” categories. Surely, there will be plenty of jest as 2020 was an unprecedented amount of external adversity for most. 

I’m not here to recap the year through the lens of DEUCE, but rather to often a simple, impactful way to reflect that you otherwise might not think to do. You see, in theory we’d all like for tough times to make us better. Many maxims and cliches instruct us that when the dust settles that it’s life’s hardships that end up being most important to us. 

When the hardships happen, however, things aren’t so whimsical and noteworthy. It just hurts. Or, it’s just painful. 

So, here’s the reflection. When 2020 got hard, who were you in those times? How did you show up? Did you face the fire, help, fight, and lift others up? 

There are three basic responses to danger: fight, flight, freeze. Hopefully, you can take an objective look at how you responded. Remove judgement. I personally have nothing but compassion and understanding for all three responses. If you didn’t fight, however, now’s the time to reflect in a way that could better serve you next time. 

Dealing with stress takes practice and if this stressor rocked you, you might benefit from practice when the stakes aren’t so high. This, my friends, is the point of choosing adverse circumstances on purpose in doses that you can tolerate, because COVID-19 won’t be the last time adversity is chosen for you.