Did anyone think for a second, that in March we would still be locked down in September?  The answer is “NO!”  There is no way any of us could have thought past a week, a month, or maybe a quarter.  Still here we are mask wearing, social distancing, and newly created germ-a-phoebes taking on the new normal everyday.  

I’m proud of you and a bit amazed at myself.  As we head into this holiday weekend, have fun and be safe.  I’ll see you on the other side of Labor Day! 

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Today is July 2nd and 6-months from today will be January 2nd.  Those are two stated facts as of the writing of this blog post.  It is basic math that cannot be argued.  Another point that can’t be argued is this; if you keep doing what you're doing today, you’ll receive the same results in 6-months as you are receiving today.  Fact.

That means if you're complaining about your weight, health, income, or just hate your job; well you will be complaining about the same and hating the same in 6-months.  So stop and think a moment.  What do you complain about that you have the power to change?  What one decision can you make today that will change your path and start to better your life?  

Jimmy Dean said, “I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”  This week I watched Wind, a 1992 film starring Matthew Modine and Jennifer Grey.  The movie was about sailing and particularly the 1987 America’s Cup race.  A real page turner you say?  I would agree, but there were some teaching moments in the movie.

One scene showed the US and Australian vessels sitting calmly in the water.  The wind was still and  the two boats bobbed in the waves with no movement.  See the wind had died and they were just sitting there accepting it riding the waves up and down.  Surely you see the comparison to complaining about problems and just riding through life, year after year, with little to no change.

Jennifer Grey’s character spots wind blowing in the distance and the US crew slowly maneuvers their boat toward the wind, lifts their sail, and takes off.  Before the wind reaches the Australian's the US has a four boat lead.  They didn't wait for conditions to change or become favorable, they saw how to put themselves in a better position and then did it.  They made a change.

The other thing that struck me was how in sailing, to move forward, you are constantly tacking and making side to side steerings to catch the wind and move forward.  The crew is constantly monitoring the wind and ocean in anticipation of their next pivot to continue forward movement.  They were being proactive and never taking their eyes off the finish line.  

So the movie, while not great, was time well spent as I thought about the next 6-months.  What will you change before January 1, 2021?  Go out today and find new wind.

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There is a term used in Business called “pivoting.”  This is being flexible enough to change your model, market, and sometimes product to react to the latest trends and changes.  This has always been true for start-ups, but COVID19 showed us that traditional and established businesses must also be willing to pivot.

Since early March we have seen entire industries change their path to market due to the world shutting down overnight.  Today March may seem like it has been years, but in fact it has only been 4-short months.  Yet retailers, restaurants, airlines, hotels, and many other businesses have had to turn the switch and change their entire sales process.  This period has fueled the new Social Marketing industry and safe online shopping has spiked to new all time highs.

A friend told me “that to pivot is to survive.”  I would add to his statement “to pivot is to thrive.”  Here are a few examples.  In Ohio we are seeing restaurants, cleared for inside dining, instead sticking with their new curbside pickup models.  This may be partly due to the increased profit spared by lower overhead.  Big box stores like SAMS and food stores around the country continue to roll out more curbside pickup  even with states lifting the stay at home orders.  Lastly I will ask the reader, have you ever ordered from Amazon?  Better yet, are you a Prime Member with them?  Maybe the correct question is, how many days a week does an Amazon truck stop at your home?

While business has had to pivot to survive, the consumer has also been forced to pivot.  Current trends suggest that in the process of adapting, the American consumer found out that some of the new normal wasn’t that bad.  Ordering groceries on Friday night and picking up Saturday frees up more weekend time.  Curbside at Texas Roadhouse is convenient and better than the old pizza, Chinese, or fast food options.  Ordering anything on an app is faster, and social product recommendations are a good source of information.  Online ratings and reviews are a good thing.

Because of COVID19 the world, including you and I, did a positive pivot. 

Todd Tannehill is a Technical Sales Manager in the drilling industry, a writer, and Social Marketer based out of Northeast Ohio, USA. All views expressed are the opinions of the author and no claims are made.

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