Today is my last day in the office for 2021 (so this is my last blog for the year). You might be thinking lucky you. Or that I’m being a bit smug, but honestly, I feel like I’m crawling towards Xmas having only managed to take off two weeks this year.
I had all best intentions to have more time away from work but covid cut my summer holiday short and then I had to forgo another planned week away to finish off book writing stuff.
It feels like most people I speak to are also feeling done in by 2021, we all need a break! My lesson here is to stop procrastinating, book more time off, and if things are a bit quiet, grab a few days when I can.
In my head, I thought I’d finish up at work and focus on some self-care (aka sitting around in my pyjamas watching Netflix and making a start on the Xmas cupboard treats). But I don’t like to make things easy for myself, so I’ve got a ton of stuff to do before that day happens. I mean it wouldn’t be Xmas without the annual rush to get the latest house renovation project finished, at least that’s the way it rolls in our place. I was at a good friend’s 50th party at the weekend, and the conversation among my peers seems to have moved on from the menopause (now we’re taking all of the hormones) and onto challenging house renovation projects. I heard tale after tale of dust, mess, forgotten deadlines, reneged promises and builders over staying their welcome. My story involves the irony of planning (for once) and ordering bathroom taps months ago, only for them to be stuck who knows where, prompting daily calls to try and locate them and see if they will ever arrive. Certainly not before Xmas they won’t.
Anyways enough of this talk, as I said it’s my last blog of 2021, and I wanted to write something profound and thought provoking… but nothing was really coming to mind so I thought I’d play it safe and share some of my personal reflections for 2021.
I know it’s been another tough year, but I wanted to reflect on some of the positives for me and those things I’m grateful for as the sun sets on 2021:
1. Working with brilliant, passionate people – this year, maybe more than ever, I have been inspired by the tenacity of the people I’m lucky enough to work with to make positive changes to the experience and engagement of their people. Their energy is infectious, and I’ve been in awe of some quite frankly amazing work happening in companies around the world, to improve work for people. Long may it continue.
2. The continued spirit of optimism and hope (despite the obvious pandemic situation), again from those aforementioned brilliant people I get to work with, both at People Lab and the companies we support. There have been some pretty dark days over the past year, but I’ve taken heart from the sense that something good has to come out of the pandemic.
3. Big changes are here to stay. While a few companies are desperate to get back to the way things were before, the majority seem to have embraced the move towards greater flexibility for their people and new ways of working. I’ve observed an increased focus on improving the employee experience and putting people at the heart of organisations, finally we’re moving from lip-service to genuine action.
4. Walking to work every day and moving away from my ‘too busy’ mindset. Granted I still need to work on this, but I haven’t had a car since March 2020 so now I walk to work and back most days. I cannot begin to express just how much good this does my soul. The walk itself is stunning and lifts my spirits every day. I plug in my headphones and turn my playlist up loud and get to indulge my passion for music. And most days I bump into friends and dogs and those chats along my route make up in some way for the loss of the ‘water-cooler’ conversations I miss from busy office days. Sometimes I even meet friends for an early morning cup of tea along the way. Before covid I told myself I was too busy to spare the time it takes to walk into my work, or stop and have a cuppa. Now I know this is something I am never too busy for
5. More time with my kids. I have three teenagers who are growing up fast. In the last few months I have been on uni visits with my son, and I’m waking up to the heart-breaking reality that he will be leaving home imminently. In the years before Covid I missed out on a lot as my kids were growing up, I sacrificed many a nativity, winter warmer or parents evening because my job demanded lots of travel. I’m not bitter about this, it was a choice I made for a whole host of valid reasons but… I’m so utterly grateful that I’ve been around for them, and with them, over the past couple of years. The memory of my 13-year-old stopping his school work to announce we had to dance when Lake Shore Drive came on the radio (he’s a Guardians of the Galaxy Fan) is something I will treasure for ever.
6. And finally I’m grateful for the huge dose of perspective that has been served up to me by the pandemic. I’ve made some tough choices this year about how I want to live the next chapter of my life, and what is really important. I’m getting better at saying no, and making time for those friends that are genuine and good for me.
@Emma
I’d love to hear what you’re grateful for this year. And I’ll be sharing my predictions and hopes for 2022 in early January. Thanks for reading and for your support over the year, and I hope you have a wonderful Xmas break and New Year.
