Resilience. The human spirit is capable of withstanding an incredible amount of stress. This year hasn’t been easy for anyone. Large segments of the economy have been decimated and lives have been lost on a massive scale. And even for those of us fortunate enough to have our health and the privilege of a stable job, our lives and routines have been completely upended. We miss face-to-face interactions, parties, celebrations, sports, concerts, performances and countless other social events where we’d mix with crowds large and small without worrying about whether doing so could expose us or our more vulnerable loved ones to an often deadly virus. But in large part, we’ve adjusted. We’ve adapted and we will emerge with a far greater appreciation for a way of life that can be easily taken for granted. Maybe we’ll be less likely to take it for granted in the future.
Creativity. We suddenly have time for those things we always wanted to try, but didn’t have the time for before all of this forced time at home. Remote work means no more commute, freeing up additional hours in the daily schedule. Those projects around the house are finally getting crossed off the to do list. You read that book. You learned how to play that instrument. You tried that recipe. You took up that new hobby. You explored creative pursuits, and you learned something new. What a luxury it is to have the time and wherewithal to develop new interests.
Reflection. A CIO I interviewed several years back talked about their daily routine, which started with dedicated time each morning for quiet thinking. While those of us with active work- and learn-at-home households perhaps struggle for quiet whenever we need it, the opportunities, in general, have been more plentiful since the first stay-at-home orders came early this year. Whatever it looks like — a walk around your neighborhood at lunch, morning coffee in the backyard or a quiet space for contemplating potential solutions to vexing problems, personal and professional, time for quiet reflection is precious.
Gratitude. There’s nothing like a global pandemic to underline how many things there are to be grateful for. Thanksgiving likely looked different this year than in years past, but my hope is that you enjoyed the time to gather with those in your household, share a meal and reflect on the many lessons of 2020. As a veteran of local government work, I’ve always viewed it as a privilege to be able to make a living serving the public, and I’m inspired by the many stories we are lucky to be able to tell about the extraordinary lengths public servants have gone to this year to respond to never-before-seen challenges. You’ll see some of them in our Year in Review feature, and many more at govtech.com. 2021 promises to bring more such opportunities, and having lived through 2020, we’re poised to tackle them with optimism, creativity and a renewed sense of purpose.
