Take Back Control – Harnessing the Power of Hope in 2021
Just over a year ago, we kicked off 2020 by sharing our growth here at RSM. We looked fondly back at the lessons we learned and traced the wrinkles of wisdom we acquired. It was an inspiring experience to put the obstacles we had overcome into perspective. Of course, there is no way we could have predicted a global pandemic, wildfires, devastating natural disasters, and civil unrest would unravel the strategies we carefully put into place to meet our new year goals.
We tip-toed into 2021 hoping to find sure footing in a still uncertain world. And while the tremors of the pandemic and government upset since the start of the new year may have you shaking, it’s important to pause and appreciate one important factor that impacts human strength and resilience: HOPE!
- COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out just as a vaccine for HIV was approved in the UK (medical advancements are accelerating)!
- Celebrity philanthropy has never been greater!
- Widespread initiatives to clean up the oceans, protect the environment, preserve wildlife, provide clean water, education, food, and fair-pay jobs to all people of the world are not just trending, they are becoming a way of life!
- The political climate is shifting toward decreasing the divisive gap that has torn the fabric of our country!
There is always hope.
We’re sharing a few ways we’re feeling hopeful in hopes you’re inspired to harness your power to meet your goals to be better, love harder, laugh more, and go farther than ever before:
“In 2021, I hope to grow in my career. I hope to carve out more time for myself to write and continue to improve my craft by challenging myself. And I hope that I’ll have the opportunity to safely spend time with family and friends. And of course, I’m hoping my wedding actually happens this year! Fingers crossed!”
~Morgan Glennon
“The year is already shaking out to be another rollercoaster ride. My theme for this year is illegitimi non carborundum…don’t let the bastards grind you down. I hope to focus on finding my zen in the intense moments and embrace the calm.”
~Brittany Schlacter
“As a whole, my hope for 2021 is that we have the strength and courage to hold each other accountable to be better, do better, and love better. I also hope we always remember how resilient we are. 2020 was a tough year, but we preserved and got through it — that in itself deserves a celebration in 2021. On a personal note, my hope for 2021 is that I continue to learn (and un-learn) more, listen more, grow more, and remember to show myself grace so that I can be the best mom, partner, co-worker, daughter, and friend. On a lighter note, I really hope I’m able to go on a vacation again soon.”
~Dana Hartung Carey
“No doubt, 2020 was rough. And some days in this new year have already felt 2020-esque (boo!). But it’s hard not to have hope when the hardest year of your life still gave you an engagement, a wedding, and so many memorable virtual holidays with family. Unwavering support and encouragement from loved ones got me through 2020, and I know it’ll be what gets me through the adventures of 2021 to come. This year, my husband and I are so excited about buying our first home, adopting a dog, taking lots of camping trips, and visiting friends and family as much as COVID-19 lets us!”
~Rachel Kunicki
“In 2021, I hope to embrace the unknown, remembering that inevitable change is made up of equal parts darkness and light, and that our desire for control will not give us a heavier hand in outcomes. I hope to write more, to lean into the work that serves my heart, and to commit to pursuing creative living in all aspects. And I hope to remember that joy is right in front of us, every single day, if we choose to see it.”
~Katie Williard
“I’m hoping that 2021 doesn’t reverse all that we’ve learned this past year, both as a country and as individuals. After such a historic and traumatic year for many, it would be easy to revert back to how everything was before the pandemic ever came about and ignore the hurt from it. But we know now better than ever before how our systems of power and justice are broken. And 2020 also exposed for many of us how we’ve gotten the priorities wrong in our personal lives. So it is my strongest hope that we don’t lose sight of all that.”
~Sanya Grace Kunicki
“My hope for 2021 is to find joy amidst chaos. Even though we’re hoping for a better year, life has natural chaos (especially with three little boys). It’s the ability to embrace the whirlwinds and find the joys hiding inside each that I’m hopeful to find, explore, and cherish as hidden treasures.”
~Kayla Kratzer
“Looking forward in 2021, I hope to be a better me!”
So simple to say, yet I’ve been working on this consciously for years! So this year, it involves a lot of self-care in a way to transfer to personal and professional success. Overall, I hope to create better habits. For instance:
– I hope to get back in shape (don’t we all?). This hope is that I stop making commitments to myself to ‘go for a run’ and then canceling those plans on myself! If I’m going to keep all of my appointments with everyone else, I need to keep them with myself too.
– I hope to read more books and spend less time on technology. I started to leave my phone in other rooms to charge. It’s little, but I like the disconnect. Reading and ‘escaping’ have always been so great to relax and disconnect and I hope to get back to that more in 2021.
– I hope to cook more new things! With a new house, came a great new kitchen. I’m already putting it to use and I want to keep doing it. It’s a self-care thing too! I enjoy dancing around the kitchen with the challenge of making something that warms your soul!
– I hope to grow more professionally. That sounds like an umbrella ‘hope.’ It just needs to cover a lot of things. From delegating and trusting decisions and processes that aren’t my own, to earning/proving my seat at times. The professional growth I hope to gain will instill even greater confidence in what I do.
– I hope to care less! 🙂 I’m an anxious, stressed person. I can be demanding and over-complicate in my head (and to friends who calm me and listen patiently). At times this is what makes me successful — I can play through a million thoughts to make a decision that’s logically planned to benefit those involved, yet it’s also what has me stress-eating chocolate (see first bullet point and the snowball becomes even more obvious). So, I hope to focus my energy on caring about the things that matter most.
~Marikaye DeTemple
“My hope for 2021 is to make more time for joy.”
I have always said I wished there were more hours in a day. To that point, my Opa always said, “Crap in one hand and wish in the other…see which one fills up faster.”
OK, to be honest, he was not PC, but it took a lot of years of wishing for me to realize I was running on empty and full of shit. Rather than feel helpless and hopeless because I cannot control how many hours are in a day, I hope to make better use of my time so I can set a more positive example. That is not the same as time management. I’m adept at planning and focusing and following through. Where I fall short is prioritizing the things that bring me joy.
It’s easy to get caught up in the ugly in the world. It’s easy to feel worn down and depressed and burned out when there’s more work to do. There will always be more work to do. And it’s easy to give up on hope because quite frankly, the things you hope for are often out of your control.
In the midst of all this chaos, I hope people discover the power they possess to create positive change just by tapping into this universal strength because… there is always hope.
I hope to do things the hard way this year. I hope to let go more often, laugh more, make more messes, give more, be better, and make more time…for joy. I hope you do the same!
~Crystal DeTemple McNeel
