By Sylvia Martinez-Mullally, MPA

We’re speeding back up to a fast-paced world with plenty of distractions. Back to the politics of parking, putting out fires, and making sure everyone is okay. It’s been a time for reflection, reprioritizing, and, hopefully, slowing down to put yourself first. Yes, I said it!

With the slowdown of the past year, many aren’t returning to their jobs—not picking up where they left off, but just plain leaving! People were able to take a step back and question the value of their work and work life. Sometimes those lines can be blurred.
Are you back to working overtime, rushing to create change, or never letting a good crisis go to waste? Sound familiar? In parking and mobility, it’s often a slow, long road to decision-making, and then, of course, the quick reaction, and then the art of execution.

It may be a good time to consider the benefits of slowing down. It’s good for our personal lives—why not in our parking lives? If you’re “parking for life” and already back to normal at work, chances are you may be stepping back and evaluating more, perhaps doing things differently.

Keep doing things differently, be mindful. Don’t let the distractions keep you from your purpose. Just like driving distractions, never take your eyes off the road. We’ve got all these new emerging technologies but make sure you know what the immediate goal is. Never take your hands off the wheel. Outline the best policies and execute them. Lastly, don’t get too distracted by looking too far down the road. Focus on what is around you now and slow down. Cheers to the resilient parking community and to focusing on what really matters! Happy New Year!

Sylvia Martinez-Mullally, MPA, is founder of Rockstar Parking Technology Group, distribution partner with Peazy, Parking AI, data & analytics, and a member of IPMI’s Research & Innovation Task Force.