Every year at this time, I always set aside a hour or two to reflect on the previous year and compare it to previous recollections from other years. I do this to track progress or a lack thereof to ensure that my life is actually moving forward in the right direction. Once I am done with the previous years post mortem I could begin to formulate a plan for the next year by repeating successes and learning from failures. But I don’t think that there could have been any way possible to plan or predict what happened in the previous 12 months.
We’ve had insurrections, police charged and found guilty of murder, extreme weather conditions, vaccine misinformation, virus mutations, a rise in stress and awareness of mental health issues, conspiracies and fake news. Normally any one of those things would make a memorable year in itself, but this year we got all of them back to back. Yet despite all of that we made it through it all a lot stronger or in once piece more or less.
In these unprecidented times, where at times us as human beings demonstrated how terrible we can be also showed how strong we can be as well. A lot of attention went towards catastrophe deservedly but I don’t feel enough was done to put focus on the positive.
In my own unscientific research I have seen people take their physical and mental health much more seriously. I have seen greater awareness in social justice. I have seen friends advance in their careers or become successful entrepreneurs. I have seen family and friends become even closer because in times like these it’s important to focus on the things that really matter.
This year as I set aside a hour or two to reflect I do so thinking of all the good things that happened. This year started out completely bananas but I do feel confident that my life is actually moving forward in the right direction. My plan for the next year is repeating and improving on last years’ successes and learning from failures so I may avoid them. We will see how right I am in twelve months when I write another article about it.
