Where do I want to be in 2022?

Where do I want to be in 2022? What do I want to achieve? Well it all depends on me and not anyone or anything else. 2022 has arrived without making much noise. It has brought with it both fear and hope.  There are increasing fears of the new variant of Corona, Omicron spreading, and there are others hoping for life getting back to normal.

The viral effect….

It has been two years since the virus first hit and life has not been same since then. Every corner of the world has been affected. The most affected have been the students who have been deprived of face-to-face interactions. Many will graduate this year without actually experiencing college/ hostel life. The other communities which have been badly affected are the daily wagers, the small businesses, and the tourism industry.

 As the situation stands, 2022 won’t be much different. The main reason being the lack of discipline being exercised by people in daily life. Even God won’t step in to help if we do not learn to help ourselves. The tragedy at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on the first day of the year ahs shown it.

Lessons from 2020/21….

The last two years have given very relevant life lessons which we the humans were refusing to learn otherwise.

Being me. I am a very social human, just love to meet people and interact. The COVID induced lockdowns kept me away from people other than with whom I had to meet due to professional commitments. This gave me an opportunity to spend more time with me and the family. The lockdown made me realise that my own company was enough to keep me busy. The time I spent with me made me brought me closer to my own ‘True Self’. It allowed me to be ‘Just me’.

Technology. Being from ‘Old school’ I was not too comfortable getting used to new technologies being introduced with rapid pace into our daily lives. There was no dearth of helping hands which further helped me in staying away from latest gadgets. Staying alone forced me to start using new technology. I am not too good but at least I have started using it.

Need of People. It is true that people matter more in life than technology. During lockdown when we started seeing people less as humans and more as ‘viral threats’ I realised that people matter but we did not need too many. COVID showed us how overstaffed we were in our offices. We worked better with less during the lockdown period.

Office Syndrome. Prior to lockdowns I was a firm believer that professional missions could be accomplished only by spending long hours in the office. The transition from being locked down in offices to work from anywhere culture put to rest this myth of mine. What matters is work, how and from where it is done is not that material.

Time management. Human to human interactions is a must in both professional and personal life. The lockdowns showed that this could be carried out without the need of moving out from your own home/ office space. Some do not consider online interactions as effective as meeting in person. I found them as effective, we may not be breathing the same air other than that there is no issue. It gives same results and saves time and need for transportation. (I understand working mothers had a tough time during lockdown as their workload definitely increased).

Hobby. Lockdown made me realise that “office mein kagaz kale karne ke ilaawa bhi zindagee mein bhut kuch hai karne ke liye” (there is life beyond routine office work). Since I had more time to myself, I could spend it on doing things which I love but had neglected thus far. I devoted more time to my hobby of writing and photography. The luxury of travelling on near empty roads and photographing monuments sans the tourists was a boon. I did a couple of short online courses too which helped in brushing up my knowledge.

No Guarantee. One major lesson COVID brought with it was that nothing can be taken for granted. Some lost near and dear ones while many others lost jobs, or their businesses suffered. People well understood the difference between living and surviving. This was much needed to keep people grounded and make them understand the need of savings and investments.

Where do I want to be in 2022?

As I have mentioned in my earlier blog that I retired from my professional job in Sep 2021 thus I have loads of time to myself. My aim in 2022 is to fruitfully utilize the time and money I have in living the life I had always wanted to. 

There won’t be much change in the prevalent pandemic conditions hence all plans have to be made keeping that in mind.

Hobbies. I will devote more time and effort to my hobbies of travelling, writing and photography. Improvement of my blog and Instagram account will be high on the list. I intend learning one musical instrument too. Hopefully I will fit that in my schedule. I will enjoy every single day of the balance of my life.   

Social Work. This is the time of life to give back to the society. I aim to spend time and energy in field of education. There is a large majority of student community which does not have access to quality education. I will do whatever little I can to help them get their due.

Author a book. I have been fortunate to experience life which not many get the opportunity to and wish to share my experiences through the medium of a book or two. I hope to publish the book within this year.

Just be me. I have always tried to be just me but at times that attempt has been affected by the existing conditions. Now I won’t let any person or condition affect my originality.

Network. Due to various reasons had a very restricted social network. I want to build a ‘genuine’ social network in 2022 and coming years. I wish to connect with as many people and touch as many lives as I can.

Reconnect. I had lost touch with many friends for varied reasons. Now is the time to reconnect with as many of my old relations as possible. I will definitely make a sincere attempt for rebuilding relationships.

Conclusion….

I have a small wish list which I want to achieve in coming years. The main wish remains that “we human beings start being humane”. I am already working on most of these areas and some I will start this year. I look forward to good wishes and support from all friends and acquaintances to help me accomplish my set aims.

 2022- A year of hope….

2021 ….. A year of hope and apprehensions….