2020 in Retrospect
Has the world come to its end? Is the Earth caused? Will humanity survive this? These and many more were questions that ran through the minds of people in the year 2020 and of course with great fear across the globe. No continent was spared.
Unfilled Dreams and Aspirations
There were so many plans and expectations for the year, many religious prophecies and predictions but none imagined it to be what we experienced. It is was obvious, we were not prepared for what was to come and we were hit badly as a planet.
As life experiences present to us challenges against our wishes and plans, it mostly comes along with lessons and until we get the lesson, we will continue to wallow in the river of such challenges.
Today we now know better, to plan better considering more possibilities and changes.
Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Plans are nothing; planning is everything.”
Consequently, Confucius, Chinese philosopher stated, “A man who does not plan long ahead will find trouble at his door.”
Lessons to Learn
The remembrance of the year 2020 was with much pain and it will be inappropriate for us to experience such pain without drawing some cogent lessons useful for us to navigate the new year.
See some of those lessons below:
1. We are not entitled to have things come easy.
Challenges are inevitable. Whatever the extreme challenges in 2020, please understand that it is purely inevitable. Unfortunately, this, times leads to blame game. The citizens blame one another. Citizens blame the government and vice versa.
Please understand that in any case, you need to take responsibility and do the work to achieve your goals regardless of what the challenges are. Learn from your mistakes and wins.
2. Every decade presents its own unique crises.
The characteristics of these crises are not the same but the process of going through these crises is the same. Crises are not over yet because the world is not over, hence a new one may emerge soon. This is why you need to reposition and fortify yourself to be able to weather any crises.
3. Cash is king.
It became obvious that many don’t have the saving culture. No financial emergency plan. This was one of the reasons for people’s complete dependence on palliatives from the government. Please ensure you engage in financial planning and more importantly, financial emergency plan to avoid financial embarrassment.
4. Be flexible.
Learn to get things done even when you are not in the office. Be an on-the-go kind of person.
5.Question your business models.
The question is- Is your business model or plan pandemic proof? Your business model should be able to stand the test of any challenges.
6. Never rely on just one stream of income.
Some people have gone bankrupt and financially grounded because they relied solely on one source of income. This became evident when their only source was locked down by the government due to the pandemic.
7. Plan your next five, ten, fifteen moves before the next crises.
Don’t be caught unprepared. Be like that Boy Scout with the motto: “Always be ready”.
2020 is gone forever, but you can utilize its lessons to navigate 2021 successfully.
Let’s have your comments and lessons from your personal experience in 2020 in the comment box below.
