2020 has been a beast. I think we can all agree on that. But in the midst of the frustrations and struggles, there have been a lot of great moments.
I find myself, on December 10th, sitting out on my porch and it’s in the mid-60’s.
The sun is shining and I’m getting work done. Something that, in a normal year….working in an office…I probably wouldn’t find myself doing. I'd be in the office and miss out on this incredible weather!
And as I sat here, I wondered how many of these moments we took for granted this year…because we instead wanted to grumble, complain and bemoan the things we were missing out on.
I read post after post about “my rights are being taken away” or “kids are suffering because of virtual school”…yet I see very little about the positives. We’re constantly on a war path about what’s wrong…constantly looking for villains. And it’s not that we shouldn’t be concerned about these things, they are important considerations, it’s rather that we spend all of our energy on the negatives and none of our energy reflecting on the positives.
We are missing out on moments that would never have happened during a “normal” year.
My son has been 100% virtual this whole time. When he was a baby, I took two weeks off work to spend with him. That was as “full time” dad as I got. This year? I’ve gotten to have lunch with him almost every day. I have gotten to hear about his day throughout the day; this is something I never thought I’d get to experience. I never thought I’d get to be a quasi-stay-at-home-dad with him.
Yet here we are.
This rallying cry of “it’s not my new normal” implies a much harsher reality: we rebel against adaptation.
This whole year has been about adapting. And so many of us have failed.
I’m not saying it hasn’t been hard. I’m not saying stress isn’t high and kids aren’t struggling; all of those are true. But I am saying in focusing on just the negatives…we missed out on the opportunity to adapt. Through the pandemic, Colin has learned how to use a variety of new tools that he may not have gotten to until college. He’s been a self-guided learner for large chunks of time. Hard? Incredibly. But we pushed through. We adapted. We learned new skills…and we’re growing. A self-guided learner at 14? What an opportunity!
My company has learned how to grow and put new policies and approaches in place…while being 100% virtual. Marly is going through M&A (mergers and acquisitions) activities…again, 100% virtual. Things we didn't think possible while being 100% remote are getting accomplished every single day. Adapting. Growing.
Nature tells us that the species that is most adept at adapting…will survive. This last year is a bit concerning…because so many of us fought against adaptation.
Change is constant. Adaptation is hard, no question, but critical to growth and ensuring we stay at the top of our game. 2020 has been hard on everyone, but, perhaps…we made it even harder on ourselves by continuing to rail against all the negatives versus embracing the journey and learning from it.
Perhaps we made it harder on ourselves because we ignored the moments of beauty in them and instead lamented on the losses we perceived.
I have no question that life will return to normal (or near-normal) in the very near future. Those of you who adapted and gained new skills have put yourself in an enviable position. You’ll walk away from a difficult year with renewed strength and fortitude…and maybe even some good memories.
Those of us that fought against change and focused on the negatives? I’m afraid you squandered an opportunity to grow and challenge yourself. And you missed out on some great moments.
Comments