Perhaps we have all waited for 2020 to end. And now here we are entering January of 2021 with new spirits, clothes, ideas, ventures, and of course, expectations. For much of 2020, the public rhetoric around the pandemic was to combat and be courageous. 2020 has definitely been an exasperating year for those seeking adventure, looking for new opportunities, and finding ways to develop themselves through social interaction. It has been perspiring for school-goers and college-goers. There are still “ifs” and “buts” when we see the second wave of infection breaking out in Europe and North America. But what are we expecting from 2021?
The reopening of schools and colleges is the most expected and awaited outcome from 2021. Students across the world have been sitting at homes in their comfort zones and breaking their backbones in front of laptop screens while the pandemic has taken a surge on the economy. Some say that the “new normal” will restrict us to smithereens and that our life post pandemic will not be the same. No long warm hugs, but still with warm hearts, we all are sitting in vain expecting our college and academic spaces to reopen so that we can pace up again with our normal lives.
2021 will be the year of transition as expected. Barring any unexpected catastrophes, individuals, businesses, and society can start to look forward to shaping their futures rather than just grinding about the past. People expect the return of consumer confidence and the ability to shop freely. Most people who travel for adventure are craving international travel. They are expecting to return to boarding on flights for a period of vacation that is much needed after 2020.
People want back the leisure of watching their favourite stars on big screens in a hall full of cheerful laughter. There’s so much that people are asking for. They’ve had their family time and now they want to pace back to work, colleges, and to the places they were when the outbreak happened. They are no longer expecting lockdowns and leisure at home. People are ready to develop new habits of social greetings, and social behaviour just to get back to a normal life with the “new” element of care for hygiene.
There has been a lot of isolation since March, 2020 and people want to wind up the spaces of their homes and come back to life again. Hope is filled in and people majorly across the world are expecting the LAUNCH OF COVID Vaccination. “Plato was right: Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. During the COVID-19 crisis, one area that has seen tremendous growth is digitization, meaning everything from online customer service to remote working, supply-chain reinvention, use of artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning to improve operations. Healthcare, too, has changed substantially, with telehealth and biopharma coming into their own.” (https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/leadership/the-next-normal-arrives-trends-that-will-define-2021-and-beyond)
Creative minds and their ability to adapt to changes have developed business ideas while sitting idle for over a year. The rise of entrepreneurship can be, however, expected in this year when technology has overpowered the world and has started to define everything. The idea of “work from home” was in the air even before the pandemic but during the previous year of struggle through health, people have found opportunities to create online spaces where they can learn and grow. Many foreign companies have benefited from each other through online services and this leads to a change in the future of the working-class people.
The colour of pollution has faded from the atmosphere and there’s a clean space around. Now, less pollution is what people expect in terms of 2021. We have underestimated the power of nature several times but after the year of the pandemic has passed away, we have developed a sense of gratitude and fulfillment in nature. People expect to preserve the environment now.
With this feeling of newness, there is a chance that people change the course of their pre-decided academic and professional future. They will expect to pursue their passions as their ultimate profession. The population around the world now knows the value of self-care and 2021 is expected to be the year of new routines which include care for mental health and a tinge of self-love.
The pandemic has taken a lot out of everyone who has survived through it. People are ready to welcome back happiness, peace, and prosperity into the economy this year. Let’s pray that our hopes and expectations turn to reality. We made it through 2020, 2021 shall pass peacefully too.
