· 4% (2.2 million) of Brits will begin 2021 able to speak a new language
· 12% of people completed personal renovation projects this year
· 10% of people achieved an exercise personal best
Due to how testing 2020 has been, many would agree that it has been a year of focusing on getting through, rather than perhaps working on ourselves. But as the nation spent a significantly increased amount of time at home during intermittent lockdowns, it seems we still used this to our advantages. Though levels of national optimism may currently be relatively low, we approach 2021 as individuals carrying a variety of newly learnt skills and abilities – all in the midst of an adverse year.
Research from national biographer StoryTerrace reveals that, as well as the momentous achievements made by many, we’ve in fact become new and improved versions of ourselves which will change the shape of our society:
· 4% (2.2 million) of people will begin 2021 able to speak a new language
· 12% (6 million) of people completed personal renovation projects
· 16% (8 million) of Brits lost weight
· 4% (2.1 million) of people got a new pet
· 10% (5 million) of people achieved an exercise personal best
So whilst no one can be certain what the forthcoming year will hold, the positives which we have made of 2020 will in many ways contribute to the changing face of Britain. From learning new languages to achieving fitness goals – these newly recognised attributes amongst millions of Brits have been largely catalysed by the impacts of the pandemic.
Personal biography writing service StoryTerrace has spent 2020 working with hundreds of people in lockdown, helping them to write their life stories with the help of a professional biographer.
Rutger Bruining, CEO of biography writing service StoryTerrace, comments on how the positive impacts of 2020 will be echoed for years to come:
“Despite all the hardships, I have found great pleasure in learning of all the amazing achievements and contributions which the nation has made to society this year. Helping people write their life stories during lockdown this year really opened my eyes to the vast number of achievements made by the nation, even in periods of extreme difficulty.
However, where most of us had increasing amounts of time to fill within our days, the pandemic has also inadvertently created a society of individuals with newly recognised skills and talents. With millions of Brits learning new languages and getting creative at home, many of us have been able to realise our true potential in areas we never previously explored. Our new personal attributes will not only be carried within ourselves for years to come, but will also change the dynamics of society for the better.
Though this year has been strenuous for most, I think it has also demonstrated the true extent of our capabilities and strengths, as well as taught us valuable lessons, which will no doubt also serve to enlighten and inspire a future generation of individuals”.
About StoryTerrace
StoryTerrace helps people to turn their life story into a book. The company takes care of the whole process – matching clients with one of their 600 professional writers, interviews, photo gathering, editing, design and printing. Books are on average 100 pages long, meaning that everyone can have their life story – or the life stories of their loved ones – documented in a professionally curated autobiography, biography, or series of memoirs.