The year ahead will be a time to move forward. I don’t know when the next recession is going to happen, but I do know that it’s inevitable and when it hits it will make 2008 seem small in comparison…like nothing.
I wasn’t ready in ’08. I remember turning white when I heard that Lehman Brothers collapsed. I thought it was game over for me and everyone else. That’s why I spent a huge amount of time, money, energy, and resources to make my businesses recession proof.
If you want to be ready for the next big opportunity, you have to reach a point of acceptance as fast as you can and prepare based on what you know.
I’m not talking about adapting in real time-there’s a need for that too but the more you prepare in advance the less you’ll have to adapt on the fly which is the time when mistakes are most likely to happen. I’m saying that I go back to zero, the worst case-scenario and take it from there. I put myself in the mindset that I’ve lost it all; my money, my businesses, my brand, everything. Now what do I do? I tell my team to think like we have nothing and come up with a plan to dig us out of this theoretical hole and rebuild. Of course, I’m confident that we’ll never find ourselves in such bad shape but if I’m wrong and disaster does strike, I know we’re ready to handle whatever comes our way. It’s a matter of being proactive and not reactive.
With the election just over a week away from the time that I’m writing this and a third wave of COVID-19 predicted to hit us hard this winter, plus everything else going on in this country, nobody is even pretending to know what 2021 has in store for us. However, I can tell you two things with absolute certainty; no matter who wins the election half of the country will be disappointed and there will be opportunities for those who can spot them, like me and hopefully like you.
Like I said, being proactive will create opportunities and produce results. On the flipside, if you just sit around waiting for the worst to happen it will, and no matter how much you brace yourself you will get rocked. How do you arm yourself so you’re prepared for whatever happens? You invest in yourself by gathering as much information as you can cram into your head and you learn so you earn.
The well-informed will be able to do great things while the uninformed will remain stuck where they are or struggle and eventually sink.
Getting information and then utilizing it to maximum effect by committing totally to your goals is the strategy for success in 2021. You can expand your business during COVID-19 or any other crisis. You can make money. All you need to do is take it back to zero, educate yourself and then get back to earning when you can.
Do not let the election or anything else going on define you or your journey.
It’s OK to take a step back to regroup but only so you can advance and come back stronger. If you need the knowledge, I’ve got it. If you need a plan, I can help you create it. If you’re unsure how to get started I can show you how. I know how easy it is to be pessimistic about the future right now but look, it’s not the end of the world.
In fact, it could be the beginning of something great.
Be great,
Grant
