Some thoughts and tips for making 2021 your best year ever

“Well, maybe next year …”

These lyrics from the Sondheim classic “Send in the Clowns” surely resonate more this year than usual, as we usher out 2020 and look forward with perhaps more hope than usual to better times next year.

But as we look in the rear-view mirror and are tempted to blame the coronavirus for one of the most challenging and distressing years in recent history, we should perhaps remind ourselves that some of the suffering experienced this year has been brought about by human action: scientists warn that our encroachment on the natural world has made us vulnerable to new viruses like COVID-19, and to some extent, the prioritization of the economy over public health, as well as an unwillingness by some to make the sacrifices necessary to protect others, and the failure of governments to effectively rein in this second wave of the pandemic, are our collective responsibility.

A backward look at our progress on reining in climate change yields a similarly depressing picture. In Canada and globally, countries are failing to meet their Paris Accord commitments; disastrously, Canada’s emissions have actually increased since 2015. And yet governments keep listening to oil lobbyists, pushing pipelines and building gas and coal-fired power plants. While trying to cope with a pandemic that threatens both our health and our economy, we have, collectively, taken our eye off the climate change ball, and this will come back to haunt us.

Of course, in addition to these two existential threats, our world is still plagued by the perennial problems of hunger, poverty, violence, intolerance and a plethora of disasters like famine, drought, extreme weather events and vector-borne diseases, all increasing due to climate change. It is not an encouraging picture.

But it is when times are darkest that the human spirit is often at its brightest. Consider the plight of the British during the Battle of Britain: when all seemed lost, Britons dug deep and found the courage and stamina to carry on. The challenges we face today are perhaps more complex in nature, but with advances in science, technology and medicine, we have powerful tools with which to fight them. What we must find within ourselves is the will to get to work.

Typically, this is the time when many of us make New Year’s resolutions. This year, maybe we can broaden our scope and resolve to make the world a better place. A useful approach is the “Stop, Start, Continue” method. What are you already doing that is making a positive difference in the world? Now, within the context of your personal situation, what could you stop doing and start doing to make a difference, however modest?

Stop: buying bottled water and using one-time shopping bags; driving a gasguzzling vehicle; speeding; buying things you don’t need; eating meat every day; doing nothing when governments or companies act out; failing to act when faced with social injustice.

Start: drinking tap water and taking your own bags to the store; driving an electric, hybrid or fuel-efficient car; slowing down on the road; being thoughtful about purchases; practising mindfulness and patience; eating more meat-free meals; writing to politicians and boycotting bad actor companies; volunteering for or donating to worthy causes.

If you follow through, you may find yourself saving money, feeling better about yourself, and growing as a person. If you dig deep enough, and care enough, you can make 2021 your best year yet, and by doing so, make a positive difference in our world. Good luck!