Reflecting on 2020

“The dogs may bark, but the caravan moves on.”

Change moves us forward in ways we can never imagine. The stress of a new normal compels us to solve and manage for conditions that may send others running for cover.

It’s the only constant in life, as the saying goes. What makes it so difficult is the timing – circumstances are always shifting, but when they will shift remains unpredictable. The abruptness and lack of control leaves us feeling unsettled and unprepared.

While change can be frustrating, what we do have complete dominion over is our attitude in the face of it all. 

In her recent book, The Character Edge, author Diane Ryan describes four mindsets people may adopt after a challenging experience: resilience, disorder, invulnerability or growth.

The choice is entirely ours. 

When life fails to match our intended course, we can acknowledge that reality, rather than allow ourselves to derail whenever fate takes a too-sharp turn.

We can view whatever is coming down the line as an obstacle or see it as an opportunity:  “Change,” writes management guru Tom Peters, “will take precisely as long as you think it will.”

Earlier this month I began residency at a local co-work space, throwing away the old schedule and clambering aboard that gleaming new, next train. Since I believe in breaking out of comfort zones, I am focusing on the lessons of 2020 and the knowledge gained. At the same time, I’m doubling down on success factors:

– Stay focused, consistent, motivated 

– Visualize end results — daily

– Push harder

Recently I re-read Andy Grove’s classic 1997 business book, Only the Paranoid Survive. The late Intel founder argues that companies must “continuously embrace the new” and be willing to apply impersonal logic when change is needed, no matter how difficult. Once you decide on a new direction, make “a set-jawed commitment” to it, even if it’s not perfect.

To distinguish signal from noise, Grove advises to seek “news from the periphery” – wise words in an era of competing narratives. “Listen and learn from your people,” he writes. Expect those with experience to lead with strengths but also, be wary about their over-reliance on same-old, proven tactics.

Grove closes by warning against denying the need for change. Though familiar paths may bring comfort, he reminds us they do not lead to new destinations.

Too many forces are in play today that want us to feel inevitabilities that just aren’t there.

Understanding then that adversity (and often, loss) comes with change is an integral part of life. It’s part of the deal of being human — of making one’s way in this world.

And we are far ahead of the game, if we recognize the reality that everything in life has a price (time, money, effort, projects, surroundings).  

To achieve success, figure out the price, then pay it. It sounds trivial and obvious, but on closer examination the idea carries momentum. Pay it, and move forward.

The experience we’ve all just rolled through is incredibly valuable.

I am reminded of a great line from Dennis Potter’s series-TV masterpiece, “The Singing Detective.” We tend to overlook that life is always lived in the present tense. What’s trivial today becomes important; what was important becomes trivial. 

Ideally, we grow. Optimism outweighs pessimism. Determination overcomes despondency.

Change hurts. Change is good. Without doubt it is one of the most exciting aspects of life. 

Change gives us the rarest of moments — opportunity to hop a new route and see things we never knew we would.