Did you delay making decisions or acting on your plan last year because of COVID-19 pandemic? Well, there is news for you! There is currently a variant of COVID-19 in 2021 which is more infectious. Therefore, if you delayed making that important life decision last year, you are likely going to delay it again this year because the pandemic is not going away. We always find a reason to not do something which hinders our personal and professional growth and development.

There is a clear message in the mutation of corona virus. The reason it is mutating is survival in response to availability of medicine to wipe it off the face of the earth and vaccine that will prevent it from spreading. That is at a micro-organism level. The same is applicable to all living things. The reason human beings reproduce is to ensure the survival of human species. This same principle is applicable to our life situations. To survive, we must adapt, but to adapt is a painful process. Hence, the saying that you cannot find growth in your comfort zone.

What are you doing today to adapt and survive? Some steps to help you reflect:

1.    Comparing where you were on 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020, have you grown as a person and as a professional?

2.    If yes, was that the best you could have achieved and what should you do differently?

3.    If no, what went wrong that you need to fix?

4.    Set a target for yourself for year 2021 which you should measure on 31 December 2021.

5.    Determine the resources and support you need to help you achieve your 2021 goals.

6.    Put your action plans into action.

7.    Carry out a quarterly review of your progress.

8.    Carry out annual review at the end of the year.

This is a normal routine for successful organisations that we can learn from as individuals to grow and develop. It can be a painful process but it is worth it at the end of the day.

People always find excuses to delay making decisions and if you are the type that procrastinates and find it difficult to make decisions, you will always find an excuse. Many times, we tell ourselves that certain things cannot be done and by the time we start, we are able to complete the tasks and in some cases enjoy and grow in the process of doing them. Some people started new ventures last year in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis are thriving today and others made career decisions during the crisis and are doing well.

From the beginning of human existence, we have learned to adapt and those who refused to adapt die, hence the saying “Survival of the fittest”.  Human beings are created in such a way that they are able to adapt to any situation they find themselves. We usually find the strength within us to adapt and in some cases rely on external assistance. Whatever you put your mind to and you put action behind it, you will achieve. Look back and you will find situations where you were challenged and you overcame the challenges.

Tap into your internal strength to survive and if you don’t have what it takes, ask for external help!