A Different New Year
It’s Time to Breakout
I know many of us were glad to see 2021 roll in. As I write this, we face a second new year — the start of our second year of unprecedented living. If you are like me, you’d like to kick the last year to the curb and never look back. It was a year no one could have predicted. It was a year that changed all of our lives forever.
Rather than refusing to look back, I’d like to suggest we give pause and think about how the last year may have served us? In fact, we can benefit from reflecting upon any time in our lives where things didn’t go as we had planned or we experienced unforeseen setbacks — individually or collectively. As you reflect on such times, ask yourself, how did the setback serve you?
That’s right. You heard me correctly. Our setbacks SERVE us.
Those hurdles we had to overcome are often the boost that we need to reach the next level. Or they make us look at things differently and take a different approach. How is 2020 going to impact you and the next coming months in 2021?
Just before this extraordinary year began, I was busy planning my wedding which was to occur at the end of June. I had my last dress fitting in Montreal and was celebrating with my sister and brother and Fiancé over lunch. We were giggling about the upcoming day and details around it. A couple of weeks later, just as our invitations were ready to be mailed out, the Corona Virus was upon us and the world came to a sudden halt.
In the end, we were very fortunate, and we were able to get married although my brother and sister and other friends and family were not able to attend. Despite this, we still pulled off an intimate little gathering at the venue of our choice in what turned out to be a magical day.
Sure, it looked different from what we had planned. Sure, we had to make adjustments and some tough choices. AND we readjusted our thinking to fit our new reality, and in so doing, we had a wonderful day we will never forget.
Mine is a good news story. Not all of them are…
I get that. Many people have lost their jobs or have seen a reduction in their work and income. Many have had to live in isolation. And many have lost a loved one.
2.5 million people have died and exited the world due to COVID.
I’m certainly not trying to minimize this fact or make light of it. Before we reached the start of this extraordinary year, we thought the fires in Australia were the height of catastrophe. The chaos continued and escalated with not only COVID but, the tragic events that brought the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement to prominence and riots in the US over the presidential election. All this and more happening while we were having to adjust our lives due to the lockdowns and distancing.
So, I ask you to think about how these things have served you?
Look back at the last twelve months not as a year to be buried, but as a year to be remembered. A year full of new learnings and opportunities. Let’s embrace the experiences we had in the last year to help set up a year of positive action for the year ahead. Not only have we been physically locked down, we’ve been mentally locked down. It’s time to breakout by focusing on the positives.
Stay safe everyone!
We are going through a time unlike any we have seen in our lifetime. It’s natural to have questions and to be struggling with the answers. However, you are not alone. There is assistance out there. Get in touch with me to learn more.
You can arrange a no-obligation chat which can help you decide if you would get value out of working together. I understand the challenge of dealing with life and careers during this difficult period and I have the training to help you navigate them.
