EDITORS COMMENT
Of rising above limitations, adapting and upskilling When faced with a radical crisis, when the old way of being in the world, of interacting with each other and with the realm of nature doesn’t work anymore, when survival is threatened by seemingly insurmountable problems, an individual life-form – or a species – will either die or become extinct or rise above the limitations of its condition through an evolutionary leap.” – Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now and A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.
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n times of crisis, we need to remember more than ever that we have the power to choose how we deal with it and emerge from it. It’s a road to success that starts with mental discipline, asserts Sherrie Campbell, psychologist and author of the article “8 Mental Disciplines More Powerful Than Self-Doubt”, published by Entrepreneur SA. “Success, happiness and fulfilment boil down to how we think,” she says. “Our beliefs about life become the exact mirror experience we live – actions follow thoughts.” I’m not the only person who made a choice at the beginning of the pandemic to emerge as a better version of myself, and it’s been made easier by being able to access a wealth of positivity and doable advice along with some really amazing people. I’m also using the experience of my almost 20 years of writing from home, which may be of use to you:
A designated work space For me, this is key to productivity. I get up, get dressed and go to “work” every day. While I’m lucky enough to have a desk on our landing, it is possible to set up a work space almost anywhere – the garage, a section of the dining room table or the breakfast counter,
even outside when the weather’s being kind. Friends have done it, and I’ve done it. Is it easy? No? Doable? Yes.
Limiting the negative By the time I get to “work” I’ve listened to / read the news. It’s important to filter what you allow into your mind: too much negative noise saps your energy. I’m not inured to what’s happening in the world, but I am getting better at not allowing the negativity to influence my mood. I don’t want to be an expert on topics such as the pandemic, I just want the facts, so 15 minutes or so and I’m done. If I’m still hungry for news or human voices, I tune into Hot91.9, a communitybased radio station that plays music from the 60s, 70s, 80s and even some contemporary sounds, interspersed with bursts of humour from the DJs, news briefs and interviews along with ongoing fundraising and marketing campaigns for people and businesses that are battling. Focusing on the positive, the helpful and the inspirational helps me balance the negativity.
A diary, a to-do list and a routine My diary, my A4 “to do” work book and a routine are my blueprints for a purpose-driven day. At the outset of the crisis, I let these
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SECURITY FOCUS AFRICA MAY 2020
habits of half a lifetime slip as appointments were cancelled and deadlines moved. The result was a feeling of aimlessness, of being disconnected. I’m back to my old habits now albeit with a new twist: interviews and appointments are virtual, either via email or on Skype, Zoom or WhatsApp, and training is in the form of webinars on every imaginable subject. I list and allocate time to doing things, part of my routine which grounds me and encourages me to focus (even though I don’t always get to complete them in time.)
Focusing on your core The world is slowly returning to work with cataclysmic job losses and indebtedness in its wake. If ever there was a time to focus on core business skills, this is it. Pacific Crest Group in its article says it’s “mission critical that systems be put in place to measure the overall performance of each segment of your core business. Devising the strategy and implementing it are two very different things. The solution lies in focusing on your company’s core business. Your core business is defined as the products, services, customers, distribution channels and geographic areas that yield the largest return on your investment (ROI).” It makes sense to me to identify the things we do best, the products which people want most, and then cutting out or at least trimming unnecessary operating and other expenses. Not easy when it involves terminating or renegotiating leases, selling property or retrenching staff but if we’re to survive and then thrive, we need to ask ourselves what the market wants now, and what it can afford, answer honestly and then do what has to be done.
Digital and other products growing in popularity Among the products enjoying increasing uptake around the world is digital. In an article on Fortune Adam Seessel says “The
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