You Need to Be Where You Are Happy – 3 Lessons from 2021 and Hope for the Future
How would you describe 2021? What did you learn about yourself as you navigated the year?
And what do you think 2022 will be like?
We recently put these questions to the participants in Navigating to a New Normal. Here are 3 lessons they shared with us as well as their outlook for the new year. You might identify with what they shared. It might also resonate with your employees, customers, clients, or consumers. We’re all in this together, after all, and experiencing many of the same things.
1. The More Flexible You Can Be, the Better
Change was the name of the game in 2021, both on a personal and societal level. That required adaptation skills like we haven’t had to use in recent memory. From personal change of address to rolling with the ups and downs of starting a new business to the ever-changing situation with the pandemic, including mask and vaccine requirements forcing adaptation in how we socialize and connect as well as supply chain-induced disruptions in distribution and pricing.
2. Resilience Has Its Limits
Another theme that emerged directly from the participants and you also read about in the news is the effect the pandemic is having on our mental health. There is still widespread resilience and people are coping as best they can, but they are also recognizing they need to prioritize themselves and their needs over the needs of their workplace (see The Great Resignation) or the old normal. Part of this is fueling the push for leaders at all levels in organizations to be more empathetic with their employees.
3. “You Need to Be Where You are Happy”
Gail, 63, said this in a recent interview and it beautifully captures at a macro level how people are feeling. She shared this philosophy to describe how she realized that she’s been very happy moving back to rural North Carolina where she grew up. She had lived in a larger urban environment because she “liked to party” when she was younger, but now, as she’s retired, she’s found appreciation and happiness in the rural community where she grew up. This is similar to the realization many people have had during the pandemic about what makes them happy and what that looks like. It’s at the root of many of the changes we are seeing in American society.
Looking ahead to 2022, resilience abounds as we heard about hope for progress in returning to a more routine life that puts the pandemic in the rearview mirror.
While the naïvete we all had at the start of the pandemic in 2020 has been replaced by pragmatism, hope still remains.
What words would you use to describe 2021 and what you’ve learned about yourself? And what are your thoughts on 2022? Let us know in the comments or email me rob@ignite-360.com
(And for a throwback, here’s a look at what the participants described as the silver linings of 2020).
Thought leadership to help you transition into the new year…
As you consider 2022 and your business, here are 5 considerations for setting your brand strategy
Are you representing the full range of diverse segments of your consumer base in your research? Here are some helpful tips on conducting accessibility research from the Ignite 360 team.
Ready to learn more about how to reach a place of empathy? Check out Ignite 360 CEO Rob Volpe’s new book, Tell Me More About That: Solving the Empathy Crisis One Conversation at a Time
