16
EQ4Africa Magazine
THE DYNAMICS OF
RESOLVE & OPTIMISM
We cannot choose the events we find ourselves in, they happen to us, we cannot choose the outcomes, they are a consequence of what has happened, but we can choose our resolve.
F
orecasting is an important tool in business, we have witnessed several leaders and professionals give near perfect business forecast. At the beginning of every fiscal year, many organizations do their best to make a forecast for the new year, this helps to strategically make plans. While this is great, there are so many events in our lives and businesses that we cannot predict, a perfect example is the covid-19 pandemic. Numerous situations that are not planned for will occur as they are occurring now, it’s obvious that there is no absolute surety about plans and forecast; of all that is unsure, one thing however is sure and that will be captured in the word “change”. Disruption will happen, shocking events will happen, powers will change, policies will change, systems
will change, processes will change and all this will continue to affect the way we live, work, war, love, engage, and do business. So, what do we do in times like this? how do we engage a world filled with uncertainties and absolute certainty of change? There are so many things we can do and one of them is to clarify between events, outcomes and resolves as we make decisions. This is the time to understand the dynamics of events and outcomes and resolve as a tool to navigating this present world. A definition of event according to the dictionary is “what has happen or taken place” for example covid-19; a definition of outcome is “the result of something or may be the consequence”, for example people
dying or dwindling economy because of covid-19 and one definition of resolve is “to settle a matter or find solution and decide on a course of action”. We cannot choose the events we find ourselves in, they happen to us, we cannot choose the outcomes, they are a consequence of what has happened, but we can choose our resolve. While the event can be the same thing, and the outcomes are varying in effect, the resolve is totally in our jurisdiction. There are different types of resolves different people will make in the face of an event and herein lies the difference between those who practice optimism and those who don’t. What is optimism and how is it practiced? Please read further.
