The world was busy last year: Joe Biden became President; the Ever Given got stuck in the Suez Canal and halted global trade; more than 8 billion Covid vaccines were administered; the highly anticipated COP26 took place in Glasgow; the world witnessed a billionaire space race – and that doesn’t even come close to covering everything.

But 2021 is finally behind us and a new year stretches out ahead, ripe with possibilities, opportunities and change. With the turbulence and pace of our everyday lives, remembering to be present is important. As Ferris Bueller says, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

What will the year ahead look like for business? And how can we navigate 2022 with presence and purpose?

Here’s what you might have missed this week:

• Presence over productivity: how Annie Dillard’s The Writing Life reminds us of the importance of being in the here and now – The Marginalian  
• Why healing and recovery deserve more respect, time and energy – The Guardian 
• Has performance become more important than work? – The Economist 
• The psychology of New Year’s resolutions: a behavioural scientist weighs in on the best ways to stick to goals – The Financial Times
• What will the year ahead look like for business? – Raconteur 
• How considering ESG can help business leaders hone in on their company’s purpose – McKinsey
• Technology of the future: what tech trends will make it big in 2022, and which are short lived fads? – The New York Times
• The view from above: incredible photos of our home taken by the crew of the International Space Station throughout 2021 – The Atlantic