24 Dec Lessons From 2021 I’ll Be Taking With Me Into the New Year
Happiness and success require learning and growth.
It’s important to accept where you are and be happy with what you have BUT it’s also helpful to look towards where you can improve.
We can all learn from the past, to be better in the future, so what will you learn from 2021 to make for a better 2022?
For some thought provoking ideas, check out this Thrive Global article by Jen Fisher…
At times it seemed like 2021 was a year that would never end. But the fact that it finally is coming to a close is one of the few certainties in a year defined by constant uncertainty and change.
Unfortunately, the pandemic isn’t ending along with it. It’s been a year in which, it’s safe to say, we’ve all been reminded of the importance of well-being and resilience in our lives. But times of adversity and challenge can teach us a lot about ourselves and what we need to thrive. That’s certainly true for me. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying there’s much about 2021 that I’m happy to leave behind. But there were also lessons from the year that I want to take with me into the new year.
As I look back over a year of writing Thrive Guides, here are seven lessons taken from them that I hope can help you make 2022 a year of meaning, purpose, connection, and joy.
Human connection is the key to our hybrid future
Whether we’re back in the office, working from home, or doing some combination of those, fostering human connection is essential — in companies, in teams, and in our own lives. I believe that so deeply that, along with Anh Phillips, I co-wrote a book this year entirely devoted to just that subject: Work Better Together: How to Cultivate Strong Relationships to Maximize Well-Being and Boost Bottom Lines. One study we cite is the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which found that close relationships arethe single biggest factor in our happiness —more thanmoney, fame, and other outward forms of success. So while technology allows us to virtually connect in our hybrid world, it’s human connection that allows us to thrive.
I’m sorry, but we need to stop saying “I’m sorry” all the time
Apologizing is part of our very human instinct to seek acceptance and belonging. There’s nothing wrong with it — when it’s appropriate. But over-apologizing weakens the sentiment when it’s actually warranted. It also makes us appear less confident, which can in turn make us less confident. There are going to be plenty of times when we really do need to apologize in 2022, so let’s not be sorry about maintaining the power of such an important tool by not overusing it.
We need to build in time for recovery, not just on our vacations, but between vacations
This was my main takeaway from my summer vacation this year. What struck me was how many people I met at the wellness retreat spoke of their need to “escape” from the stressful or burned-out lives they were leading. It made me wonder: Why don’t we put more of our time and energy into designing the sustainable life we want, instead of accepting one we need to escape from?
Keep reading the full & original article HERE