Well, it’s been a year. As 2020 winds down, many of us are united in our view that this year can go straight to hell. The global pandemic has taken nearly two million lives and disrupted countless others with unemployment, food insecurity, civil unrest, and sprawling inequality. Things are dark and, to be honest, we are months away from being able to build a better normal. This said, every day more human capabilities are being surfaced by the pandemic, including incredible individual and collective resilience. Here are there ways you can evaluate your resilience in 2020.

You are #2020resilient

This year our leadership team sourced handmade ornaments from @styledbysamma and delivered them to our very, very resilient teammates. For the record, my idea was a “F*ck2020” decoration, but it was deemed inappropriate for professional-oriented gift-giving. In any case, while it’s been an impossible year, human beings are resilient creatures and deserve to be celebrated.

How are your community connections?

Community is the unit of measurement for what really matters. Highly connected communities are linked to positive social and economic outcomes, like in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, as well as health outcomes. Socially connected people are healthier and more resilient.

What are you doing to foster human connection in a physically distanced world?

What did you learn?

Learning happens everywhere all the time when we reflect on experiences. We learned a lot this year. As leadership guru Robin Sharma says, education is the inoculation against disruption. Our lives will continue to be disrupted in the weeks and months ahead, so whether you invest in professional growth skills or how to become an ally, it is important to always be learning about yourself, your community, and the world.

How will you grow in 2021?

What are you noticing about yourself?

“Self-awareness is the ability to see yourself clearly and objectively through reflection and introspection,” according to Courtney E. Ackerman. Cultivating self-awareness is an elusive and critical skill that serves us in professional and personal relationships. For better or worse, 2020 has surfaced a lot within all of us and, with the end of this dreadful year fast-approaching, there is no better time to reflect on what’s keeping us motivated, connected, and healthy.

How do your closest friends and colleagues describe your greatest strengths and capabilities?