Main Idea:
Have you been reflecting on the past year? Or was it so bad you want to forget everything? Are you excited for the new year? Do you long for the good old days? Or are you afraid you will never see those again?
Expansion of the Idea:
This has been an interesting year. For some, it has been one of the worst years of their lives. They may have lost their jobs or their businesses, family members have died, kids are struggling with school, moms and dads struggling with kids at home, racial tension and a whole host of other issues. For others it has been a problem for their lifestyle and maybe a small hit economically but they have not been hurt financially. For most, it is somewhere in between.
The question is what to do with 2020 and more importantly how should we approach 2021.
I think it is important to not throw away 2020 without looking back and listing out what you might have accomplished or learned (besides keeping more toilet paper on hand):
For most of us our technology has improved, such as using Zoom calls
We are not taking things for granted, such as kids going to school
We are better at prioritizing our work lives
We have improved our efficiency at work
We have eliminated some unnecessary items because we needed to
We have looked at supply chains and vendor relationships to see what is working and what isn’t
We have gotten more creative
The point is that there can be some good that comes out of this year. But it will only be good if we identify it and systematically implement it going forward.
Here are some questions to consider:
What did I learn from last year?
What do I want to learn next year?
What did I do wrong last year?
What do I need to do better next year?
What positive accomplishments did we make this year?
What do I need to build into my plans for next year?
What do we need to eliminate going forward?
Do I have the right team that is adaptable and creative for the future?
What relationships were strained and need to be repaired?
What relationships need to be ended?
Do I have a firm action plan for 2021? If not, build it.
I hope everyone has a great 2021. As Peter Drucker states,
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
I look forward to serving you in 2021.