In almost every one of my sessions within the last three weeks, I have asked each client, “What opportunity has coronavirus unexpectedly provided you?” Invariably, after some quiet thought, almost everyone has answered that question with an element of personal wonder and gained insight. The last client I posed that question responded, “It has provided me with some unexpectedly terrific times with my family. We are pulling as a team like we never would have before. And it’s given me a new sense of gratitude and what is really important to me.”
I can find unexpected gains in just about anything. It’s true, sometimes I have to dig pretty deep, but it feels like defeat to me if I can’t uncover a gainable positive from every bad situation. And a gain doesn’t need to be extraordinary in order to be considered a gain. A gain can be as subtle as discovering a mistake I’ve learned not to make twice or a formula that works that I can repeat over and over again. I believe there is a Good to every Bad. No matter the scope.
Personally, I see one huge opportunity in coronavirus; it is the ultimate unifier. It’s teaching me what brings countries together: a common enemy. It has given me more time to focus on my future plans and make them actionable. It has given me perspective and a greater understanding that control is largely an illusion.
I created a list of possible opportunities for you. Things we all can consider completing in 30 to 60 days. All the things below have already been done by other people within 30 days:
1. Hand-write a letter to everyone you love.
2. Lose 15 pounds. (I will save this one for the next pandemic)
3. Create a company – it’s easier than you think if you keep your mind open.
4. Write a book and publish it on Amazon.
5. Learn a new skill on YouTube.
6. Foster a pet.
7. Write your own autobiography for your children and grandchildren.
8. Reorganize your home.
9. Reorganize your life.
10. Write your own eulogy. (It’s a real motivator!)
11. Identify a solution to a problem and patent it.
12. Reshape your body.
13. Learn a language.
14. Visit an entire nation and culture virtually.
15. Discover where you come from on ancestry.com.
16. Make frequent videos of your kids and family.
17. Write twice a day in your journal (record this history in real-time.)
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
— Winston Churchill
I hope while you stay safe and stay home that I can open the doors of your mind to the vast array of opportunities available for you to explore and master in this unexpected extra time.
I’d be interested to read what opportunity you’ve gained from the coronavirus pandemic. Drop me a line in the comments below, send me a message, write to me on Facebook or Instagram. Much of what you see as an opportunity will lighten the darkness for someone else.
If you know of anyone, anyone at all, who could benefit from any of these tips, use the buttons below to share on Facebook and Twitter, forward this to a friend and if you haven’t already, join my email list to receive updates on new posts.