They say that every disaster movie begins with someone ignoring a scientist, but amid the news of escalating mutations in Covid-19, a respiratory system virus that marred a greater chunk of 2020 for us all, it is easy to forget that the very same movies end with a note of hope, a reassurance of human resilience.

The year might be ending, but we are aware that despite our successes in vaccines, Covid-19 is not all gone and from the looks of it, it is going to stay, at least for a while longer. At this stage, it is hard, may seem callous even, to think of something beyond the virus. Yet, a new year is approaching, and with it, the usual question of goals and expectations is necessary, even if it is just to shake us back to reality from the lockdown-induced lull in our lives.

“Wait! New Year? Is it New Year already? I hardly seem to have lived 2020!” is Nur’s immediate reaction, as she responds to a question about her hopes and expectations for 2021.

Nur is a resident of Lahore and an architect by profession. “Planning is such an essential part of my work, and who I am,” she adds. “I cannot begin a project unless I know what the end result would be. […] So, when 2020 started, I had everything listed, professional goals as well as personal. But for 2021, I can’t think of anything other than that the virus goes away. That’s all I want!”

That is indeed what we all want. The end of the pandemic and return to old normalcy, is a key theme emerging in popular responses. It shows that 2020 at least rekindled the spirit of communal good. “I wish and expect that our government will be able to tackle [the pandemic] efficiently so that we can all return to our normal lives,” says Talha Khan, a student at LSE.

Fatima Rehman, a student at Adbistan-i-Sophia expresses a similar hope: “I hope that 2021 will bring back the lost smiles on people’s faces and reunite families. Hopefully, it will be the end of coronavirus.”

Shahzad Baloch, a student at the UMT, Lahore, also wishes the return of the “corona-free times.” He adds a jovial note: “I want to explore each and every part of Lahore without a mask on my face.”

Faced with moments of intense uncertainty like these, when we are not sure what tomorrow brings, psychologists have often recommended focusing on the circle of influence i.e., things we can control. As much as we want, we cannot just wish the pandemic away, and while we take the precautions and hope for the virus to end, it is important not to lose sight of personal goals.

Yarousha Morris, a student at Beaconhouse, Liberty campus, takes this approach and expresses a wish for more success in basketball, whereas an employee of a dairy firm looks forward to his wedding: “With the new variant of Covid already recapturing the ground we had covered in 2020, personally, I don’t think we’ll be any better in 2021. The world will see new ways of announcing lockdowns. The only positive I hope to reap is getting married later in the year.”

Similarly, Fatima, a student from Lahore, looks forward to beginning university studies abroad: “I know it is going to be online for some while, but the thought of living in a new country and a new culture all by myself is so exciting that I can’t wait for the New Year.”

Faced with moments of intense uncertainty like these, when we are not sure what tomorrow brings, psychologists have often recommended focusing on the circle of influence i.e., things we can control. As much as we want, we cannot just wish the pandemic away, and while we take the precautions and hope for the virus to end, it is important not to lose sight of personal goals.

While acknowledging the far-reaching social and economic consequences of the pandemic, Hamna Shahid, a chemical engineer from the University of the Punjab and the founder of Plannerella, a startup about planners, stresses on the need for having a mission and finding hope through productivity in times such as these: “2020 redefined the word ‘hope’ for me, thus making me stronger than ever.

“In my view, hope doesn’t mean a favourable outcome; rather it means whatever will happen, I’m capable of confronting the situation and choosing positive response towards it,” she adds. “Amidst the economic upheaval and unemployment crisis, I decided to launch my online business dealing with planners. Putting my heart and soul into my work is helping me stay optimistic for 2021.”

Yearends, however, are not just about goal setting and wishes, they are also a time of reflection. This year more so, because it brings home the realisation of the frailty of human planning in the face of what God plans: “And you do not will except that Allah wills” (Al Quran, verse: 76:30). I personally see an awareness of this realisation, and a reconnection to spirituality, as well as an increased sense of civic responsibility in some of the responses.

Anas Hussain, a student at the UMT, Lahore, suggests looking back at the why of the pandemic, mending our ways and praying for relief, whereas Jawad Ahmed, a resident of Nishtar Colony, suggests realigning our focus on the ease that results from the trials we face.

I feel particularly drawn to how Salma Khan, a grandmother and resident of Model Town, looks back at the lessons learnt in the year and prays that the good that came out of this collective adversity stays with us in the years to come: “I feel that all is not lost. With the bad will come great good, our lifestyles will change for the better, we are learning to be more hygienic, we now do chores for ourselves, help others in need and to a great extent we are discovering ourselves and our surroundings. I have high hopes that we shall continue to be charitable and considerate towards those less fortunate.”

To nurture a charitable and considerate attitude, as Khan envisions, is perhaps the goal we all need to have for the coming year. 2020 has been a long and difficult year, for those who were privileged to work from home as well as those who were fighting in the frontlines — the doctors, nurses and paramedic staff; grocers, vendors, daily wagers and law enforcers, among many others.

People have lost loved ones and livelihoods. Ending the virus may not be in our hands, but each of us is an important link in its transmission or mitigation. Let us choose our side wisely. With the New Year, let us vow to continue following the SOPs even when others around us seem not to bother and to look out for those who may need our help, in finances perhaps, or in kindness even more so.

The author is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Glasgow, UK