Wade reflects on the year that was, 2020, and the lessons he learned over the course of one of the most challenging years in recent memory. As 2021 rapidly approaches, now is the perfect time to look back and consider the good, the bad, and the profound of all the things that have happened this year and what lessons we can take forward into the future.
Podcast Highlights
Uncertainty
2020 required people to become comfortable with uncertainty, both in our personal lives and in business. You have to be able to embrace the uncertainty and move forward. For those who can’t they are going to continue to struggle in 2021 as the uncertainty isn’t going anywhere.
Agility
The world rapidly changed for small businesses in 2020 and the ability to course correct and pivot became incredibly important skills. Many businesses that weren’t able to adapt to the changing environment struggled or disappeared altogether. Agility and adaptability isn’t going to become less important over time and it should be a major focus of your business going into 2021.
Losing a Friend
No matter how hard it is to deal with a struggling business, or difficulties with switching to online learning for your children, there are people who didn’t make it to the end of the year. Things could be worse and we need to take a step back and get perspective on what is the most important in life.
Leaders
Leaders in a time of crisis need to be a beacon for their followers. 2020 has been a lesson in reverse with the leadership in the highest levels of government generally failing what the people needed. When we look back at the good and bad examples of leadership in 2020 we will see how strong leadership can make a big difference.
Unity
2020 was the year of division when it was the year that needed unity the most. All forms of media this year fed and amplified the division all across the country, no matter your political affiliation. People have been forced to one side or the other, where there is no middle ground, and in 2020 we needed unity and the ability to work together more than ever.
Positive Mindset
There was an abundance of negative energy coming from all sources this year. Finding a positive story in the news was a challenge. 2020 reinforced the idea that you need to balance out the information you put into your mind. Positive energy is what gives you the resilience to deal with a crisis like the one we are currently going through and bounce back. History shows that years like 2020 happen from time to time, and we need to be able to confront them with a positive mindset.
Strength
We need to find our strength from within. A lot of times we tend to rely on other people or circumstances to give us strength and make us happy. 2020 shows a lot of people how quickly your life circumstances can change, and that we shouldn’t put our happiness, joy, and ability to function on things we can’t control.
Vision
We need to be able to stay the course and avoid panicking. There was a lot of temptation to throw everything away in the face of uncertainty and fear and go back to the corporate world, but the people that held fast were the ones that won through. When you know what you want in life and where you’re headed, you’re able to adapt and change the plan without scrapping the whole journey.
Stretching
2020 was a great opportunity to try new things and do something different. We had the time and the chance to do things we would never have tried before and get outside our comfort zone. This opportunity to stretch allows you to become a more rounded person so you should take it when it’s available.
Compassion and Empathy
2020 has illustrated how important it is to make compassion and empathy the foundation for what you do in life. If that’s where we start, so many of the issues we face each day go away and it’s the biggest lesson coming out of 2020 that needs to be applied across society.
2020 was the perfect opportunity to reflect on the importance of family and friends instead of getting lost in the busyness of life. It’s easy to lose track of family and friends and 2020 was a chance to slow down and strengthen those connections with the people in your life. It has also been a powerful opportunity for introspection and consider who you are and who you want to be.