There is a lot of talk about overcoming adversity and being positive these days but I do not find it all that actionable.Therefore I decided to compress my 2020 experiences into this newsletter. Disaster struck twice, as I lost the business and got sick with covid within 48h. Additionally, living in NY was ( for once) not a blessing since we were the pandemic epicenter and suffered from local as well as federal mismanagement.
So let’s break down what happens when disaster strikes.
1. Denial.
This can’t be! What did just happen? A strange disease is threatening my very survival and my somewhat successful business got closed down.
2. Fear.
How will I survive? At the time I was ill, we knew much less about covid than we do now so every answer from my doc was : Could be. The treatment was tylenol. Should I go to the hospital? Nope, you will get sicker.
Add to that total economic decimation and you have a winning combination.
3. Depression .
This could be because of your damage to your health, loss of a loved job, pre existing worldview. We definitely all have some degree of PTSD at this point since we have been living in abnormal circumstances for a while.
4. Anger.
In my case, I was livid how the pandemic was handled as well as the total collapse of the social net. Unemployment for my employees did not kick in for eight (!!) weeks while Kushner pulls a 900 mio $ forgivable loan, the government sent a hospital ship to NY harbor that doesn’t treat covid, nurses do not have masks, the list goes on.
These four emotions/stages come rather naturally and it is ok to feel what you feel but here is where it parts
If you stay in the anger phase for too long, you are going from victim to volunteer. Yep, there I said it.
5. Acceptance
At some point, you need to accept that the macro situation will not change and that you are not capable of influencing it.
Note this does not mean pity party but taking stock of what you can change within your microcosmos. In my case it was a. rebuild some form of health and physique b. restart the business. These tasks need to be broken down on bite sized chunks, otherwise it will remain a phrase.
Recovering from covid, I was so weak that I started by walking four blocks, a day, then five etc. Weight training was a whopping three sets of biceps curls on day one. I tried lunges, almost passed out.
But over time I did recreate a somewhat decent physique which matters in the sense that it is one of my main selling tools for the business. As for rebuilding the business, what does that actually mean? Have a vision? A Q3 plan?
None of that. It means get some leads and get a client. Get another. Do this for eight weeks and things will look a lot better.
Taking the proper exit at the fork after the anger stage is literally what will separate you from the rest.
Maik