As we enter the final weeks of 2020, I’d like to express gratitude for this year. I’m sure this sounds crazy.
The loss of life from the pandemic has been hugely tragic and will continue to be so for the next few months until the vaccines are able to stem the tide.
Businesses and workers have suffered through a global economy locking down almost entirely in the spring, trying to re-open in fits and starts through the summer, only to face another surge as fall turned to winter.
At the same time, the world has witnessed horrific moments of social injustice and resulting unrest, wild fires that choked cities and reduced towns to ashes, and a relentlessly partisan election season that somehow still hasn’t fully resolved itself.
So given all this carnage, why on earth would I express gratitude for the past 12 months?
We’ve been constrained in ways that we haven’t been in generations. The last time the entire world was gripped by something on the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic may have been the Great Depression and World War II.
We’ve been forced out of our patterns. We’ve had to stay home. We’ve had business stop entirely for two months. We haven’t been able to attend conferences. We’ve had to make hard decisions.
And while I do not minimize the pain, I’d like to point out some of the things that I’ve experienced and seen from my clients:
When I think back on this year, it calls to mind the very last meditation in my e-book 33 Meditations for Seed Founders. It’s based on this quote from T.S. Eliot:
“If you aren’t in over your head, how will you know how tall you are?”
This year, I think we’ve all been in over our heads. We’ve all been learning exactly how tall we are.
And for that, I am grateful to 2020.
Until next time,
Steve
STEVEAUGUSTCOACHING
Helping Founders Build Rocket Ships
PS Ready toTake Your Growth To The Next Level? Let's talk. Schedule a growth conversation here.
PPS Get Your Free Rocket Ship Score!
The Rocket Ship Assessment is based on real world experience scaling startups from idea to multi-million dollar exits. Find the weak points in your business and get free actionable feedback on how to accelerate your business! Take your free assessment here.