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Everybody from op-ed writers to late night comedians to your best friend is talking about being done with 2020. We are so glad to see this year end, aren’t we?
No need to list all the reasons for that here. We’ve been talking about them since March, at least.
It’s worth a look, though, at what we’re moving toward as we turn the calendar page and start a new year. Wouldn’t we all like to see things turn out a little differently in 2021?
I’ve been asking people about the direction they intend to go. Here’s what they’re telling me.
In 2020, we laid the groundwork.
Special Needs Financial Planner Vivian Villers used 2020 downtime to reboot. “I updated my website, got new professional headshots and lifestyle photos, created slides for speeches and wrote articles. Now in 2021, I plan to increase my visibility, marketing, posting on LinkedIn, podcasting, and speaking.”
It gave us time to ponder what’s next.
For some, that’s a focus on running the business. Margot Jacquot is a therapist with a busy suburban practice. “I’ll be mostly retiring from clinical work to focus more on development and operations. 2020, despite its challenges, afforded me the opportunity to actually think about how I want to spend the last 8-10 years of my active career. Looking forward to the change.”
Virtual meetings aren’t going away anytime soon.
As Ellen Wade said, “I serve on the board of a small non-profit in Flagstaff. Before Covid, we often had trouble getting a quorum at board meetings. With Zoom, it’s usually a full house! I expect that we’ll continue to Zoom our meetings long after it is a health & safety requirement.”
Some businesses are booming.
Erica Minchella is a real estate attorney. “I am concerned that I am going to be helping many landlords and other homeowners through some really rough times. There are certain commercial property owners who will be struggling as well, and we will be defending their foreclosures.”
Some businesses caved in completely.
Heidi Henry owns an Illinois farm and shows horses. Those shows, like everything else involving an audience, evaporated this past year.
“The 2020 horse show season for us ended before it began. We encouraged our students to stretch and learn new disciplines. Now I am back to teaching dressage and jumping and will compete in Dressage for the first time in nearly 30 years in February. We are unsure of an in-person show season in 2021, but we have learned all about virtual showing and we are ready to compete!”
Plenty of us are pivoting.
And then there’s Kathi Quinn from the Northbrook Chamber of Commerce. “Burying pivot with robust! That said, ADAPTABLE is key … I have always been a plan B gal and it has served me well – especially in 2020.”
In the same vein, Mary Kay consultant Paula Silver says, “If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we can change, adjust, and adapt to new circumstances, situations, and goals. I think 2021 will just anchor those changes.”
Among the things we’re adjusting: our attitudes.
Greg Cooper is a Realtor out to make some changes. “I’m going to spend less time fearing & more time pursuing. Pursuing health. Pursuing quality time with people that matter. Pursuing activities and experiences that give me happiness. Pursuing professional success. Pursuing doing things that help people who have a lot less than me WITHOUT expecting some profound gratitude from the universe (because you don’t always get that).”
At Team Fireball, Chief Empowerment Officer Debbie Pickus is looking to change some things too. “My focus is being an organized person. I realize that disorganization is a state of mind and I can control that.”
Virtual learning expert Lynn Miller’s making a shift. “I’m focused on being intentional about adding more writing and interviewing projects that incorporate fun and collaboration.”
As for teacher Mick Kahler, he points out the need for patience. “We live in this ‘high speed internet/want it yesterday society’ and that makes it hard to endure all the waiting.” Mick says he’s “working on living more day to day without looking too far down the road on when things will change.”
We might make changes in our personal lives too.
Many of us plan to focus on health and fitness. Exercise more and eat less. Feel less guilt about taking time for things other than work.
Attorney Jim Schultz has a post-pandemic plan “to visit all the places in the city I never visited but always wanted to once we are vaccinated. First stop Garfield Park Conservatory.”
Nothing makes us want to visit a place like being told we’re not allowed to go there, right?
Some things never change.
The responses to my question on Facebook about business and the New Year included this. “Because I am new here on this Facebook can you please kindly send me a friend request please because judging from your profile you seem like a nice kind hearted woman, I would love for us to chat and get to know each other better and be good friends here on this Facebook…ooh and by the way you look beautiful at your profile.”
How about you?
You probably look beautiful at your profile too. Besides that, I’m curious about your approach to the New Year. Are you buckling down in your business? Getting serious about taking care of your health? Launching something entirely new?
Fill me in with a comment here.
Catherine –
Another excellent reflection. I am focusing on moving my body every day. I mostly sit at a desk and work all day, and as business picked up during the second half of 2020, hours could go by without movement of anything other than my hands. If I want a stronger healthier body — and I do — it is up to me to take the time to make it so. I am taking small steps – some aerobic activity, some strengthening, some stretching — without putting boundaries around what the “some” means.
Best wishes to you for the new year.
More movement is such a great goal, Dawn. It’s easy to wind up sitting at a computer all day long, and it’s not good for any of us. Every time I hear someone say, “Sitting is the new smoking,” I’m reminded that I need to move more.