2020 was the unqualified year from hell – hands down, but if you are reading this, you’re still alive and hopefully you were able to find some sweet spots in the midst of all the confusion and misery.
I’ve written the following questions to help you review the year and encourage you to start thinking about 2021. We all need to evaluate what 2020 taught us and how we can turn crisis events into something meaningful going forward.
The first questions are in a category I call ‘S**t happens’:
- What was the absolute worst thing about 2020 for you?
- What was the outcome of that (job loss; health challenges; relationship issues)
- How did that make you feel? (powerless, angry, sad, lonely, bereft)
- What is your usual mode when s**t happens? (blame someone else; bury my head and wait for it all to go away; work out the best action to take)
These next questions tackle how we deal with s**t:
- How long did it take for you to deal with the emotional toll of the fear/worry/loss/stress/depression? (hours, weeks, months, still suffering, still wallowing)
- What did you physically do to deal with the situation (Updated CV; saw the Dr; had counselling; nothing – still immobilised)
- What was the learning you took away from the misery – if any? (I can cope; I’m tough; I’m resilient; life’s a bitch)
These next questions fall into a ‘what if’ category:
- What if the worst thing that happened to you this year turns out to be the best thing that happened to you this year?
- What if you decided to make 2021 the year you changed your thinking/beliefs/responses/attitudes and values?
These next questions are based on ‘Where would you aim if you knew you couldn’t fail?
- How did I contribute to the mess I found myself in? (staying in a miserable job; ignoring poor health; attracting the wrong partners; doing the same old same old while expecting a different outcome; wishing and hoping I’ll win Lotto)
- What goals am I going to set for 2021 to break the cycle I found myself in?
NB: During the lockdown I ran some workshops for ‘WOMEN WHO WANT MORE OUT OF THEIR LIVES’ and because we are now so close to Christmas, I’m running the final session as a half day event:
Where: Loom shared Space, Pukekohe
When: 14th November – 1 – 4 p.m.
Investment: $99.00 + gst
E.mail me for more information ann@annandrews.co.nz (At this stage it is for women only).
I make no apologies for asking the tough questions above. S**t really does happen and we can either sit in a dark room feeling sorry for ourselves or get up, dust ourselves off and do whatever needs to be done.
Let me know if you would like to join the final workshop – it is limited to 15 people so please don’t miss out if you even vaguely suspect you’ve fallen into the ‘immobilised’ category. Let me help you kick start 2021.
And my final thought ….
‘The dream begins with a teacher, someone who will push you and poke you with a big stick called truth.’
– Goethe
PS If you are a man reading this – let me know if you would be interested in a male workshop next year AND/OR – if you have a partner, sister, daughter who needs a boost and some TLC – please let her know about this session.
Ann Andrews, CSP. Author, speaker, profiler, Life Member PSANZ
Author of:
Lessons in leadership: 50 ways to avoid falling into the ‘Trump’ trap
Leaders Behaving Badly: What happens when ordinary people show up, stand up and speak up
NOW AVAILABLE: Women Behaving Courageously: How gutsy women, young and old, are transforming the world.