REFLECTING ON 2020

Brené Brown, the University of Houston’s social work researcher, author and speaker, in her own end of year blog post, described 2020 as a year of heartbreak and exhaustion, a year of passionate reflection and recommitment to being and doing better, and a year of learning and unlearning and relearning.

Does that resonate with you? 

For me, personally, 2020 post-March was about:

·      re-thinking my own professional purpose and strengths, and cheering on essential workers and those who support them from the sidelines;

·      connecting with many more people both new and old, and having significantly more, and deeper, conversations;

·      better understanding the new and old challenges and problems that those in statutory child welfare and OOHC themselves see as important;

·      learning, staying more up-to-date on a wider range of issues, and sharing more information, new insights and ideas;

·      taming, or at least subduing, the beast of technology;

·      getting more comfortable with being out of my own comfort zone;

·      adapting to the downturn in face-to-face research and the changing environment, with more speaking, authoring, mentoring, training and facilitation; and

·      better celebrating my own small successes when they occur.

Wherever you are in the world and your own particular circumstances, how are you making sense of your own 2020? And as well as the direct impacts of COVID-19 and economic recession, what have been the indirect negative impacts for you as well as the positives, what else has happened professionally and personally during the year, and how have you yourself or what you think to be important changed? 

Irrespective of whether you enjoy the religious and/or secular traditions of this time of year, to the extent to which they are possible where you are, and/or for you this is a time to disconnect from work and reconnect with family, friends and/or yourself, I wish you a heartfelt Merry Christmas. And here’s to 2021.

And whether we’ve worked together over the course of the year or are planning to next year, you’ve attended a training workshop or webinar, or I’ve just appeared in your Inbox once a week, thanks for letting me be a little part of your momentous year. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts! You can email me at: iain@betteroutcomes.co.nz

Kia kaha (Stay Strong).

Iain