I culled the content of this post directly from my dairy, I wrote these thoughts something in July 2020.
2020 is a year that wont be forgotten in a hurry, it’s the year a new Flu ravaged the world. This flu is fast, invincible and tricky. Thousands have died and at the time of this writing the total world’s death is over 500,000.
Nations are shutdown for months now, businesses are struggling, schools are closed. The rich and poor is affected alike, people of colour and those without, young and old, famous or not. COVID-19 (the Wuhan virus) is not discriminatory
In the midst of all this, I have learnt a few things from others and myself. I currently reside in the UK and moved here just as the virus was gaining momentum in Europe some people say I am one of the lucky few that wasn’t separated from loved ones because of travel restrictions imposed worldwide shortly after I arrived the Uk from Nigeria.
5 things I have learnt and relearnt during this time
This unplanned shutdown of the world’s economy had varying effect on families and companies.
I have seen families that are used to living on one income and invest the second living ok when one partner lost their job during this time
I have seen the real life effect of having a six months emergency fund for individuals, families and companies. There is just a big difference between those with cash reserves and those without
In the US thousands applied for unemployment benefits. Having cash reserves as an emergency fund couldn’t have come at a better time.
Emergency funds gives you options. Families and businesses with such funds are surviving and even thriving during the lockdown.
It reminds me of the story of Joseph in the bible, the time of plenty and famine. There will be another time of plenty and then famine.
we can’t choose our emergencies and the time they will come but we can prepare by having cash reserves or an emergency fund of 3 to 6 months living expenses
The mindset to get back up and not stay down.
Staying down makes us a failure. This mental strength and a never say die attitude is needed at times like this.
The next crisis might not be worldwide but national or in your business or personal.
Get back up again and again and again as many times as possible, never stay down, never stay defeated.
One thing that helps just like the emergency funds is my deposits, my mental deposits before and during the crisis. My self confessions and self discussions matters.
The pandemic was unexpected. Goals had been set, the vision cast, projections made then the unexpected happens.
What next? I saw businesses adapt, grow, change their operations, embrace the change like that gigantic tree whose roots are deep in the soil moving with the wind but remained true to its roots.
Business strategies changed for many businesses in 2020 some businesses have even said this is the new normal and they won’t return to the old.
This mindset is possible because they were open to new and adaptable
The first few weeks during the lockdown saw many people sitting down and taking their legs up for that deserved break but after that first few weeks I saw people back on their grind, a lot of zoom meetings, people took responsibility, people became proactive, engaged and made positive choices instead of remaining in the chill state
People took courses, started businesses, took other jobs, became creative with their kids and loved ones, learnt a whole lot about personal finance etc
This separated the leaders from the jokers during the pandemic from leaders of nations to CEO’s and heads of families. CEO’s that communicated early and consistently had better results and productivity from their staff during the lockdown says a report. Even without the lockdown we know how important communications is to any group
I know there are more lessons people learnt during the lockdown that is applicable anytime either in a lockdown or not but these are my top 5. I hope we can take them to heart and apply them in our lives.
