Kelly Clarkson shares the lessons she's learned in 2020 following split from husband Brandon Blackstock

Kelly Clarkson has learned a lot in 2020. In a segment for The Kelly Clarkson Show, the 38-year-old singer looks back on what 2020 has taught her and admits it's been "quite a year."

Clarkson filed for divorce from her husband, Brandon Blackstock, in June after nearly seven years of marriage. They share two kids, River, 6, and Remington, 4.

"Even at 38, I feel like I'm always changing and progressing in a good sense, in a good way. I always want to make sure I'm being the best version of myself," she says on Wednesday's show. "... You are who you surround yourself with. You want to make sure you're surrounded by people that also want to be the best versions of themselves and also have a good, common goal for everyone, not just themselves."

"It's been a really good lesson to learn that people could be bad for you in a certain time. I think that everybody goes, 'Oh, that just means they're bad.' It doesn't necessarily mean that, it just means you're on different paths," Clarkson continues. "I think that that's OK. Everybody's on a different learning curve and everybody's learning something different at different times."

While Clarkson says that 2020 "has just been a dumpster fire," she notes that she's found joy in her job, friends and children.

"We have now realized family and friends matter so much, especially in this time... So it's been really cool that I have really good friends to lean on and talk to," she says. "... I think you find joy in work when you have away time from it and you get a break. And then you find joy in your personal life when work's good too and you have something that's your purpose. [And also] planning fun things with my kids, like going to the beach."

With all the highs and lows of 2020, Clarkson is ready to welcome 2021 with open arms.

"I'm grateful for next year because I'm just happy we're moving on and everybody can move on. Let's figure stuff out," she says. "I think everybody has felt so suppressed. At some point we really just need to come together and really get a handle on COVID and get a handle on lovin' on each other instead of hating each other and seeing such division all the time. I think everyone wants that. That's a collective thing."

"... I'm very excited about 2021," she adds. "I'm not fearful of it at all."

When ET's Rachel Smith spoke to Clarkson last month, the singer revealed why she's been so open about her feelings surrounding her split from Blackstock.

"I don't do it for anyone else, honestly. I don't know, I come from a small town, I'm used to everybody knowing everything anyway," she explained. "And, I don't know, I feel like if you're hiding something, there must be something wrong with it. And there's nothing wrong with anything -- life just kind of happens, and it takes turns that you don't expect and are sad."

"...I'm willing to share my experience and yes, it is the worst. I mean, the past few months have been horribly sad," she added. "... Divorce is a really s**tty thing."