Making Change the Norm

It seems like 2020 is the year that will never end. Since the very beginning of the year, we have all been inundated by images, news stories, clips and videos of such enormous (and often negative) impact that 'end of world' memes and jokes abound. It's easy to believe that all of the news out there is bad and that our way of life is about to come to a screeching halt, but the truth is, change is often hard and scary. But it doesn't have to be. Here are 5 great changes that we can look to with hope rather than trepidation.

1. The Environment: Don't look now, but when we started 2020 the news was full of Australian Wildfire stories. I know, it seems like that was a couple of years ago rather than just a few months! But while those wildfires were a sign of environmental damage, the quarantines of 2020 brought the human impact on climate to the fore. It's pretty hard to argue with images of smog clouds lifting in a matter of days following a quarantine. And while climate change has been a significant and contentious issues for decades, the simple truth of smog and traffic was driven home for all of us. So many families and individuals took to walking, running and hiking as a means to get out of the house and into nature. Perhaps 2020 will become the year that the environment is finally recognized as a collective issue that we all must tackle together.
2. Medicine: I know the last thing any of us wants to read right now is more news on Covid-19, pandemics or vaccines. But, there's some good news. I know I'm not the only one to notice all of the advancements in treatments that have been happening. We're not just talking about vaccinations and symptom relief anymore. Some of our best minds across the globe are tackling antibody treatments, sound resonance treatments and cutting edge techniques to disrupt viral activity in the human body. It seems like sometimes the worst challenges bring out the best in humanity. In ten years, will we be looking back at 2020 as the birth of a new era in medicine? I hope so. But there are ways you can take part in some of those changes now. Start reading about the human body and how our immune systems work. We've been taxing and overtaxing our bodies with little sleep, high stress and poor diets for too long. Make the changes now and keep evolving your knowledge of how your own body works to keep you healthy and happy!
3. Protests & Diversity: The protests and BLM marches that have taken place across the country have been a contentious issue for many. But the core of the matter remains a constant; the United States is supposed to be the dream of a country where everyone is equal. There's a million examples of how this isn't yet true, but it still can be. While protests are taking place across the country and the most difficult conversations are happening at dinner tables across the nation, companies are having new and difficult conversations around diversity and inclusion. Many companies have pursued D&I initiatives...but were they doing so for the right reasons? Were they doing it the right way? And how can we all be better and continue to drive change in our workplace? At Virago Search, we specialize in diversity talent search. What we have found is that diversity spurs innovation and pushes companies in new and different directions. It's healthy. And it's something we can all affect in our daily lives as we go about our work. Be open to new experiences, new ideas and new perspectives. Fight the patterns of old thinking and pursue challenging new ideas. You never know where they'll lead.
4. Balance: So many of us have been forced to work fully from home for the first time. Still others have been remote works for the bulk of their career...but maybe not with children at home, or spouses working from home in OUR offices! Or maybe they've done all of it, but had the opportunity to go to the gym or the local coffee place to get a break. With the necessity of work from home and quarantine, it suddenly became apparent just how flexible companies can be with their work arrangements. Lots of people want to stay home. Lots want to go to the office. 2020 should be a time when we start having these conversations and creating a better life optimization for ourselves and our employees. (that's right, life optimization. I'm tired of the phrase work-life-balance. All it's come to mean is working more and beating ourselves up over our lack of balance).
5. Change: Change itself, in all areas of our lives, is at hand. We've all been brought up in a system that makes change a fearful thing. It so often means layoffs, salary cuts or job redundancy. But it doesn't have to mean any of those things. Change is a healthy and wonderful thing. The ability to grow with time, face new challenges and new adventures, to shake things up and have new experiences is what keeps us living and joyful. None of us saw 2020 coming, but even in the depths of stress and anxiety, I think we've each found at least one thing that we want to bring forward into our lives after Covid-19. We're humans and living beings, so change is and should be a constant for us. But in workplaces that have so often been governed by fear, we've learned to love the status quo...even if it isn't so great in the first place. Looking forward, decide that you're going to look at change with new eyes, with an open mind and a learning experience. We're dynamic beings and change will only help us grow and evolve into our next, better selves.