As far as I can remember, I never had any kind of “year loss” in my entire student life. I was able to move forward on time in school, college, and university. I never missed a class or semester. I always tried to follow the rules and move forward towards my goals.
But in life, not everything always goes according to our wishes. Especially when I came to work, I understood that better. 2021 was the most unstable year for my work life. When the country was locked down in the second wave of the Corona pandemic, my projects were stopped. Regular office work, field work, or visits—everything stopped in an instant.
I suffered a big blow mentally because I didn’t have a job. I had to hear various things from all around me—“You have nothing to do now,” “A year has been wasted,” “This time you have ‘lost a year.’” The words felt very bad at first, and I became a little weak mentally.
But at one point, I thought to myself—if I just spend this time in a hurry, it will really be wasted. Rather, if this free time can be used for self-improvement, then it will not be wasted, but rather it will be the “most necessary preparation time” of my life.
Since then, I started learning graphic design by browsing YouTube. Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Canva—I learned the work of these software by myself. I learned how to create posters, banners, social media content. I started doing logo design, flyer design, Facebook covers, and even some freelance design work.
During this entire time, I learned a lot about not only graphic design, but also video editing, time management, presentation skills, and even online marketing by watching YouTube. I created a routine for myself—getting up at a specific time in the morning to learn something new, practice, watch YouTube tutorials, and then use those skills to create something new.
The biggest lesson I learned during this time is that when time stops, people find their inner strength. I have realized that when one aspect of life closes, another door can open—you just need to keep your eyes open and your mind strong.
2021 may have been a bit of a loss in terms of work life, but I don’t call it a ‘year loss’. Rather, I would say it was a ‘secret growth year’. I learned how to believe in yourself even in uncertain times, I learned how to learn new skills completely free of cost, without any guidance.
Today, I am also working in the designing field along with my job. Many people now ask me for help in these tasks, and appreciate my work. That was possible only because I was able to transform that “loss year” into a “learning year.”