Gates Package — page 1197

Settling into a new normal I've never been a big New Year's resolution person. I don't have any specific goal in mind for 2022 (although I guess I still have a couple more weeks to think of one). But what I do hope is that next year is a lot more settled than this one. Human beings are naturally resistant to change. Whether it's the massive global upheaval of the last two years or transitions closer to home, it's never easy to adjust to new ways of living. I think 2022 will be a year when many of us finally settle into a post-pandemic new normal. For me, that will mean going into the office a bit more as COVID cases hopefully go down. I want to find a new rhythm at home now that all three of my kids have moved away and my day isn't as structured around finding time to spend with them. I'm looking forward to spending more time engaging with people through my blog and other channels. I'd like to keep up my COVID-era habit of watching lots of educational videos on YouTube and subscription services like Wondrium, because they're a really great way to learn about obscure topics. (I now know more about glassmaking, birdwatching, and the history of American Samoa than I ever expected.) I hope you and your loved ones also find a way to create new routines. There's no question that the pandemic will create huge, lasting changes that will take years to fully understand, which can feel scary. One of my favorite authors, Yuval Noah Harari, once wrote that, "people are usually afraid of change because they fear the unknown. But the single greatest constant of history is that everything changes." The world has adapted to big disruptions before, and we'll do it again. In the meantime, I wish you a very happy holiday season.