What a year! Anita Azarenko hopes the holidays provided some respite from the tumultuous year behind us and looks ahead to the New Year.
She has an “ask” of us: Share what you learned in the past year that will shape how you work in 2021. After Anita wraps up her comments, please continue to stay tuned for a how-to video.
She is asking you to record and share a short (less than a minute) video on Zoom, or share your thoughts in the comment section of the blog.
Here are a few other things to know:
- Watch the First Monday Update video through to the end.
- Record your thoughts in the comment section of the blog, or record on Zoom by Monday morning, January 11.
- Add Victor Villegas as a collaborator on your video in Media Space by noon on January 11.
- Look for links to the blog and to view the what-we-learned videos in the January 12 edition of ConnEXTion.
Fantastic tutorial. Thank you!
This is Cindy Brown, 4-H Youth Development/SNAP-Ed educator in Sherman County. The whole COVID experience as connected with my Extension job has taught me DETACHMENT….being able to let go of things so other things can come into my life, and GRATITUDE…as I now have a greater appreciation for things I used to take for granted.
HI Cindy, yes detachment and gratitude- definitely guiding actions to live by. Not easy but vital for emotional well-being.
Wishing you the best for the new year.
Anita
Mike Tyson sums up 2020 for me – “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
I’ve learned to accept the things I cannot change and the importance of adapting to that change. In the early months of the pandemic, I appreciated what my team member, Shara Anslow, had said: “We need to jump on board with what our partners are doing or we will get left behind.” Because of our team’s willingness to adapt, we continued to provide nutrition education to our schools.
In 2021, we will continuously re-evaluate our plan of work and make the necessary adaptations in the best interest of our partners.
-Rebecca and the Portland SNAP-Ed Team
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you for sharing and being so responsive and resilient.
We are drawn to our careers in Extension out of a desire to serve. And yes this often takes us out of our comfort zone. How rewarding it is to know that we have learned and acted in new ways that positively impacts the lives of others.
Have a great new year,
Anita
With so many things always changing in 2020, I found it important to make time to step back and observe what was happening in my own part of this disrupted world. With that input I could then narrow my focus to move on with the tasks that addressed identified needs in a realistic way. I hope to continue this process in 2021.
I am learning (but haven’t mastered) the importance of perspective. Being able to have a bit more time with my kids (e.g., eating lunch together) while working from home has been special. And each evening brings a chance to be grateful that everyone in my family is healthy and usually happy. I care a LOT about my work, but this past year found ways to remind me of what truly matters in life and how resilient the people I work with truly are.