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2021 Questions Insights
As 2020 came to a close,
we asked you 21 questionsSee The
original survey →.
Your heartfelt answers175 colleagues /
collaborators
have left us so inspired.
we asked you 21 questionsSee The
original survey →.
Your heartfelt answers175 colleagues /
collaborators
have left us so inspired.
2020 WAS FULL OF DAYS
WE WON'T SOON FORGET–
+
The day my sisterinfected me with COVID.
The day I felt ill & had
to tell my family I would
isolate in my room.
+
The day my dad won hiscourt case in order to
get his green card back!
+
Going to the ER &watching people get
turned away..
+
The day my neighbor of 10 yearsintroduced themselves & asked
if I was OK / needed anything.
+
Trump getting kicked off Twitter.
& PEOPLE WHO INSPIRED
US TO KEEP PUSHING.
It was a chance to see
what the people we
love are made of
+
Healthcare Workers+
Dave Chappelle(Kept me thinking and
laughing in the toughest times.)
+
Local Shop Owners+
Dr. Fauci
50% of you
were inspired by:
Family, Friends,
& Colleagues OPRAH INTERVIEWS
FOR EVERYONE
were inspired by:
Family, Friends,
& Colleagues OPRAH INTERVIEWS
FOR EVERYONE
& more
importantly,
a chance to
show up
for one
another.
My next door neighbor started
weekly driveway happy hours.
weekly driveway happy hours.
I've had to be the
one to show up for me.
one to show up for me.
Seeing people show up in the
movement for black lives.
movement for black lives.
My dear friends
helped us move.
helped us move.
My team...
Their faces on zoom every day.
Their faces on zoom every day.
Phil brought Bourbon.
Too many times to pick, but each time
was like a piece of me was held
& protected tightly.
was like a piece of me was held
& protected tightly.
HEALTHCARE WORKERS.
We quarantined with our
two best friends from
the very start.
two best friends from
the very start.
When I finally asked.
When we dealt with more fires in our
area, moved unexpectedly, and
suffered a loss in the family.
area, moved unexpectedly, and
suffered a loss in the family.
Management giving me the
flexibility I needed.
flexibility I needed.
Husband. Every day. Homeschooling
taskmaster & backup cook.
taskmaster & backup cook.
WE MADE SOME SOLID DECISIONS.
MANY OF YOU BUSIED
YOURSELVES WITH BIG
& MANY OF US SPENT OUR
TIME DEVELOPING NEW
SKILLS & HOBBIES.
DESPITE THE DISTRACTION,
*
OF US EXPERIENCED
MORE WORRY THAN USUAL
*80% OF US ALSO WATCHED MORE NEWS... SO NO SURPRISE THERE
BUT WE WERE
2X AS LIKELY TO
APPRECIATE
THE SMALL
THINGS THAN
TO LOSE SLEEP.
Doritos
& red wine.
& red wine.
My husband bought me a pair of
noise-cancelling headphones.
noise-cancelling headphones.
Watching movies
from the 80’s.
from the 80’s.
Ginger turmeric tea.
The moon.
Prepped meal plans.
Unconditional
& constant cat love.
& constant cat love.
Hearing my
heart and breath.
heart and breath.
Pizza.
Rearranging
the furniture.
the furniture.
Daughter home from
college for extended period.
college for extended period.
Kirkland brand
trail mix.
trail mix.
Quiet.
COPING LOOKED
DIFFERENT FOR ALL OF US–
People who
Exercised LessScrolled MoreDrank LessExercised LessWatched Less NetflixHad More Family TimeRead Less NewsRead More NewsAte More Junk FoodWatched Less NetflixHad Less Family Time Exercised LessScrolled MoreDrank LessExercised LessWatched Less NetflixHad More Family TimeRead Less NewsRead More NewsAte More Junk FoodWatched Less NetflixHad Less Family Time Exercised LessScrolled MoreDrank LessExercised LessWatched Less NetflixHad More Family TimeRead Less NewsRead More NewsAte More Junk FoodWatched Less NetflixHad Less Family Time Exercised LessScrolled MoreDrank LessExercised LessWatched Less NetflixHad More Family TimeRead Less NewsRead More NewsAte More Junk FoodWatched Less NetflixHad Less Family Time
also
Ate More Junk FoodWorried MoreLaughed LessLaughed LessAte Less Junk FoodAte Less Junk foodLaughed MoreLaughed LessWorried MoreWorried LessLaughed Less Ate More Junk FoodWorried MoreLaughed LessLaughed LessAte Less Junk FoodAte Less Junk foodLaughed MoreLaughed LessWorried MoreWorried LessLaughed Less Ate More Junk FoodWorried MoreLaughed LessLaughed LessAte Less Junk FoodAte Less Junk foodLaughed MoreLaughed LessWorried MoreWorried LessLaughed Less Ate More Junk FoodWorried MoreLaughed LessLaughed LessAte Less Junk FoodAte Less Junk foodLaughed MoreLaughed LessWorried MoreWorried LessLaughed Less
Exercised LessScrolled MoreDrank LessExercised LessWatched Less NetflixHad More Family TimeRead Less NewsRead More NewsAte More Junk FoodWatched Less NetflixHad Less Family Time Exercised LessScrolled MoreDrank LessExercised LessWatched Less NetflixHad More Family TimeRead Less NewsRead More NewsAte More Junk FoodWatched Less NetflixHad Less Family Time Exercised LessScrolled MoreDrank LessExercised LessWatched Less NetflixHad More Family TimeRead Less NewsRead More NewsAte More Junk FoodWatched Less NetflixHad Less Family Time Exercised LessScrolled MoreDrank LessExercised LessWatched Less NetflixHad More Family TimeRead Less NewsRead More NewsAte More Junk FoodWatched Less NetflixHad Less Family Time
Ate More Junk FoodWorried MoreLaughed LessLaughed LessAte Less Junk FoodAte Less Junk foodLaughed MoreLaughed LessWorried MoreWorried LessLaughed Less Ate More Junk FoodWorried MoreLaughed LessLaughed LessAte Less Junk FoodAte Less Junk foodLaughed MoreLaughed LessWorried MoreWorried LessLaughed Less Ate More Junk FoodWorried MoreLaughed LessLaughed LessAte Less Junk FoodAte Less Junk foodLaughed MoreLaughed LessWorried MoreWorried LessLaughed Less Ate More Junk FoodWorried MoreLaughed LessLaughed LessAte Less Junk FoodAte Less Junk foodLaughed MoreLaughed LessWorried MoreWorried LessLaughed Less
Many of us opted
to get out of town
But 25% of us
stayed close to home
& WE'VE GOT THE NEW
SWEATPANTS TO PROVE IT.
Bought new leisurewear 45% sweatpants, 22.5% slippers
(FOR SOME OF US, STAYING HOME
MEANT *A LOT* OF NEW THINGS.)
IT WAS A YEAR OF
SHIFTING EXPECTATIONS
& RESPONSIBILITIES.
SOMETIMES IT WAS
EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE.
40% of us felt
(OVER)EXTENDED
(OVER)EXTENDED
11% of us felt
(UNDER)USED
34%(UNDER)USED
of us felt both
(OVER)EXTENDED
&
(UNDER)USED
WE ALL STILL
MANAGED TO
KNOCK IT
OUT OF THE
PARK IN BIG
& SMALL WAYS.
A+ on my grad school
capstone project :) :) :)
capstone project :) :) :)
Covid relief
strategy & execution.
strategy & execution.
This year was more
about touching base than
hitting it out of the park.
about touching base than
hitting it out of the park.
Baking homemade bread.
1600-person phone bank
the day before the election.
the day before the election.
I don’t think I knocked
anything out of the park,
but I did visit the park.
anything out of the park,
but I did visit the park.
I will tell you what
I DID NOT knock out of the park...
COOKING.
I DID NOT knock out of the park...
COOKING.
Christmas meal I
made for myself.
made for myself.
Winning the biggest proposal
of my life for an international
enterprise client.
of my life for an international
enterprise client.
Capturing the beautiful
clouds, landscapes, and
stars of Kenya.
clouds, landscapes, and
stars of Kenya.
Finished my book.
2 years in the making.
2 years in the making.
Completely flipped
our business model.
our business model.
Picking out our dog.
& develop new habits
to take with you
IN FACT,
1 in 10You bunch
of hippies OF Us
STARTED
MEDITATing.
MAYBE THAT'S
WHY IT FEELS
LIKE WE ALL
GOT 10
YEARS WISER
IN 2020.
Brace yourself.
Pace yourself.
Pace yourself.
Let people help you.
Buy Bitcoin.
Stay single.
Limit social media.
Draw clearer boundaries
between work & family time.
between work & family time.
Think less.
Take more
vacations.
vacations.
Don't take manicures
for granted.
for granted.
Discomfort is a
sign of growth.
sign of growth.
Buy sweatpants
& slippers.
& slippers.
Listen more to
my own advice.
my own advice.
SOMEHOW, SOME WAY, WE'VE
MANAGED TO MAINTAIN
OUR OPTIMISM FOR WHAT
THE FUTURE HAS IN STORE.
Adapting Ambivalence Anticipatory Apprehension balance Brave cautious cautious Cautious cautious cautious cautious Cautious Cautious-optimism Cautious-optimism cautiously-optimistic Cautiously-optimistic Change Change Change Change Change Change Change! changes Clear-eyed compassion confident curious Dad Determined Eh EXCITED excited Excruciating-patience Faith Faith Focused Forgiveness. Forward! Frustrated-but-HOPEFUL!!! gloom GO! Golden grateful grateful Gratitude Hesitant Hope hope hope hope Hope Hope hope hope Hope Hope Hopeful Hopeful Hopeful Hopeful Hopeful hopeful Hopeful Hopeful hopeful hopeful Hopeful Hopeful Hopeful Hopeful hopeful Hopeful Hopeful hopeful Hopeful Hopeful Hopeful hopeful Hopeful Hopeful hopeful hopeful Hopeful. Hopeful-scared Horizons humilty Humilty IDK Incremental interest Journey joy Let-it-go. light move nervous new onward Optimism optimistic Optimistic OptOmistic Patience patience patience Patient Perseverance positive Possibilities possibility Possibility pragmatic Ready Ready READY ready realistic Recovery Relief Relief relieved Renaissance renewal repair Resilience Resilience resilient Side-eye sigh Sigh Ssdd Take-it-one-day-at-a-time transformation trepediation Trump-free Trump-less Uncertain Undetermined Upward Upward! Vaccine worried worried Yes YES
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
UNDEFEATED COURAGE &
FOR ALLOWING YOUR
HEART TO HOPE.
Thank you to each & every contributor who answered 21 Questions. We’ve spent time with each of the 5000 unique answers and comments received. These are your stories. You made it through 2020 with a resilient heart and you make us all hopeful for what is to come.
21 Questions was developed in collaboration with The Million Person Project, an organization devoted to the sharing of stories to enact social change.
I/D.W is an independent creative studio of strategists, designers, producers and storytellers. We partner with leaders and brands to inspire change for the future of the planet and its people.
Q : 6
TRADING ECONOMICS. “United States Unemployment Rate | 1948–2021 Data | 2022–2023 Forecast | Calendar.” TRADING ECONOMICS, tradingeconomics.com/united-states/unemployment-rate.
Accessed 29 Mar. 2021.
“Tracking the Impact of Covid-19.” Shelter Animals Count, www.shelteranimalscount.org/news-covid-data. Accessed 29 Mar. 2021.
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