We have a secret for you. Do you want to hear it? 2021 will not be kind to you….
For those of you who are still reading this blog post, thank you for not tuning us out. Sometimes, a little shock and awe are needed. Unfortunately, the above statement will most likely come true. We are not pessimists, but rather realists. Acknowledging a problem is the first step in fixing it.
Why will 2021 be Dumpster Fire 2.0? Because 2020 was a dumpster fire for you. You are probably thinking, “but 2020 was bad everybody”. This is true. Sort of. However, for some people, 2020 was the best thing that ever happened to them. Some businesses made more money than ever before or made decisions that will set them up for success for decades. What was the difference? Perspective.
Let’s be more specific. How people viewed change made the difference in 2020. To some, change = fear. To others, change = opportunity. Don’t believe us? What if I told you that some of the biggest wealth transfers happened in 2020? In fact, Amazon doubled its net profit during the pandemic. In 2019, they netted $2.6 billion, but during the COVID pandemic they netted a $5.2 billion. Now, that might not seem fair (and it isn’t) for small businesses that were forced to close, but some small businesses were able to increase profits just by pivoting a little bit. How many cleaning businesses popped up during this time?
We are not saying that you are at fault for how bad 2020 was. We know it was a dumpster fire. Instead, we want to focus on changing behaviors and thought patterns. What is the secret? Embrace change. We understand that these challenges are daunting. Change is daunting. However, you can’t wait this out. There is no knowing when it will go back to "normal" and we don’t know what “normal” will be anymore. Obviously, change is different for each person or business. We don’t understand every unique situation people are in and we don’t claim to. However, what are certain of is that by simply embracing change and slowly working on changing who you are, great things can come of it.
People can change. Unfortunately, they often choose not to. Maybe it is conscious, but it is more likely unconscious. It the latter is true, self-reflection needs to happen. Don’t become complacent or else 2021 will be an even worse dumpster fire. If 2020 was a residential dumpster, this year will be a commercial one. However, you have the power to change that.
