The Only Thing Not Changing in 2021 is Change

If there’s one lesson for us to take away from last year, it’s that change is inevitable and adaptability is key to building resilience. A relentless pandemic, the transition to online learning causing parents to become both caretakers and teachers, and the shift to remote work - or no work at all - are some of the major changes that made 2020 a particularly difficult year for many people. 

And as COVID-19 transcends into 2021 and we approach the one-year mark of when we first began to experience the pandemic’s impacts on our daily lives, we realize that it is no longer the “new normal,” but a reality that we have fully adopted. With a new presidential administration and a vaccine rollout in the works, we can expect even more change in the near future.

Transitions in our personal and professional lives are never easy, but realizing that change is a constant allows us to better prepare ourselves for the unknown by developing the skills and habits to face changes head-on, no matter what is thrown our way.  

How you can prepare for more change in 2021 

Set goals 

Setting goals for yourself can be motivating and hold you accountable. Amid change, goal-setting can help to keep you grounded and focused on both personal and professional objectives. However, goals should follow the SMART concept to be effective and will act as a roadmap and assessment tool for your progress. 

Specific. Goals should be detailed and identify the performance you want to measure. 

Measurable. How will you measure your performance? Do you measure success by getting a raise or bonus? Define units of measurement to help you benchmark your progress and how close you are to achieving your goal.  

Actionable. Set specific steps for you to take to reach your goal. Trying to find a new destination without a roadmap gets you nowhere. 

Realistic. Setting unattainable goals is setting yourself up for failure. Challenge yourself with your goals, but don’t make it impossible for you to reach them. 

Timely. Set a deadline for yourself and dates for specific milestones along the way that get you closer to your goal. 

Adapt quickly 

The most successful people are those who adapt quickly, but they do it effectively to avoid burnout. Adapting to change quickly is a result of accepting that change. This is not an easy skill to develop, but the more you expect and experience change, the easier it is to accept and build the resiliency to persevere through it. 

Positive mindset 

A positive mindset can be a challenge to build and maintain, especially with the negativity that surrounds us in the news and society. Your mindset is structured by what you decide to focus on and the lens through which you focus on it, and a positive mindset can help you embrace change in everyday life. 

Challenge negative thoughts. It’s easy for us to be our own worst critic when we fail to achieve our goals, and filtering reality through a negative lens inhibits our ability to see any good, both internally and externally. When that inner critic creeps in, it’s important to challenge it and any negative thoughts that follow. A healthy and positive mindset is like a muscle that gets stronger with more exercise, and the more we practice challenging negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones, the easier it gets. 

Practice gratitude. Practicing gratitude can help build a positive mindset. It may seem odd at first, but expressing gratitude for at least one thing each day is a start and can help you recognize gratefulness for other things throughout the day. According to Psychology Today,  gratitude helps your brain process other positive emotions, savor positive experience for a longer period, and that gratitude and joy are symbiotic. There is always something to be thankful for, even if it seems small and mundane at the moment. 

Take the time to focus on yourself and what you enjoy. We can burn through all our energy just hustling through everyday life, taking care of others, and juggling the emotions of everyday life during this pandemic. But taking the time to focus on yourself and what makes you feel good, even if it’s for a few minutes during the day, can help you to manifest a positive mindset and attitude. Taking the time to care for yourself helps you to be a better parent, spouse, friend, colleague, and more. 

Conclusion 

2020 was a challenging year for many reasons, and the changes we experienced have only made us stronger and better prepared for what’s to come this year. Setting goals, accepting change and manifesting a positive mindset can help us get through anything, and we are optimistic about 2021 as we look at this as a time for a newfound hope and the start of a better, brighter year ahead. 

If Who Staffing can help you in any way with building a process that allows you to win the war on talent, please feel free to reach out to start a conversation or go here for more information about us.