As this year draws to a close I thought I’d share four of the many lessons I’ve learned over the last 12 months.
I wonder which ones you can relate to?
1. It pays to be flexible
If you were at a job interview in 2015 and were asked ‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years?’ I bet you got the answer wrong!
Perhaps we all need to adopt a more flexible and open-minded approach to the future.
2. There was a definite rise in ‘ultracrepidarianism’
– the habit of giving opinions and advice on matters you know nothing about. I felt my CSE Grade 3 in Biology did not give me the necessary knowledge to communicate with confidence about COVID-19. However, it seems some people would rather trust their mate on Facebook than an expert who’s spent years researching the subject.
Sometimes it’s OK to say ‘Actually, I don’t know enough to give an opinion.’
3. We do better together
People can be a pain at times. We fall out. We disagree. But ultimately we don’t get through tough times alone. We need the support of others.
And who knows, perhaps when we choose to work with each other we won’t simply ‘get through’ but also ‘grow through’ the experiences of this year.
4. We’ve more potential than we give ourselves credit for
I’m sure like many of you I would not have believed how quickly I adapted to doing life in a virtual world. Over the last few months I’ve presented virtual events in Australia, the USA, Dubai, New Zealand, and extensively in the UK. I’ve ended up speaking to more people during a global pandemic than any other time in my 29 years of business. You really can teach an old dog new tricks.
As we move forward into the New Year I realise we’re far from out of the woods yet. But there is hope, and although we may encounter dark times, we can still light candles for each other.
I look forward to our paths possibly crossing in 2021 – whether face to face or virtually.
Either way, I wish you well.
Paul
The SUMO Guy
