#12 - Flip the Script: Thankful for hard times

It will sound strange to some, but I’ve been one to enjoy the tart taste of a lemon wedge from time to time. When I used to sing in choirs and plays, I would often suck on one to help keep my voice fresh. You tend to bemoan cliché’s as a child (or at least I did), but experience is the best teacher; and whether you like the taste or not, 2020 was the proverbial lemon. As a consequence, it will have the distinction of being a year that historians and philosophers will write about in the future. Living through it as we are, all we can do is navigate towards (hopefully) clearer skies.

When nobody was accepting visitors back in March of this year, what I did on a day-to-day basis changed dramatically. If I’m being honest with the reader, I realized there were a lot of skills I thought I had that were not developed enough. I gave myself some benefit of the doubt as this was the first economic downturn I had worked through, and that these were the times that could help me move ahead or watch me fall behind. Given that I was able to keep working, I never could become complacent. I’m thankful for that.

Here are three valuable lessons I learned (the hard way) in 2020 that I’m grateful for:

1. Know the proper time and your place: I tend to give my opinion freely, sometimes this is a very useful, but like anything it requires tactful. I learned it’s OK to follow orders, and being the skeptic in the room isn’t always fruitful. As the youngest professional in the room, it’s better to listen and understand what people with more experience are saying rather than demonstrating your ability to turn a phrase.

2. Be valuable: Without the skills I had cultivated and the knowledge I had acquired I could be one of the many looking for a job. This isn’t to say everyone who was laid off doesn’t have knowledge or skill, but knowing how to leverage yourself (like I explain in post #6) will mean you can be one of the last ones fired. Thankfully I only have to take care of myself through this pandemic. If you’re a man or woman who is responsible for a family it’s incumbent on you to learn and develop new skills. In sales as in personal development, if you’re not growing your dying.

3. The sun will rise again: If you’re willing to embrace the suck of bad times and not put yourself on the sidelines, you’ll find you come out the other side with a deeper appreciation for your work (or the knowledge you need to change.) In either case, the crucible of hard times helps form you into a stronger professional than you were before.

This series at stilltravelingsalesman.com was to develop a skill I claimed I had – writing. I also improved my workspace, organizational abilities, and follow through. So this year I’m thankful for hard times, and while I hope they don’t continue I know they won’t stop me from finding a way to get ahead. I wish the same for you.