From the Editor

From the desk of Kevin Cole, Editor & Publisher, and ISFA Director of Communications

There Is a Time for Everything, and a Season for Every Activity

This time last year I was challenging myself to take more time for me, which would in turn benefit others. And I still believe it is based on sound thinking. However, when I wrote it, I had no idea a worldwide pandemic that would crash our economy was just around the corner.

I bet anyone would be hard-pressed to find a person who didn’t think 2020 was an extremely difficult year. I think most would also agree that it wasn’t the year of taking time for yourself. In fact, it seemed quite the opposite.

In 2020, if you were like me, you had more challenges than you could handle coming your way at breakneck speeds. Many of us take great pride in our work ethic, making sure everything gets done and done well, with every “i” dotted and “t” crossed. But, sometimes it was just getting critical tasks completed to the best of my abilities so I could move on to the next item that absolutely couldn’t wait.

Many of us have heard all of our lives that if we work hard and push for it, we will get ahead, but sometimes in 2020 it was just not getting too far behind. And you know what, that’s all right.

There’s nothing wrong with pushing ourselves to complete a tough project or a task in a difficult environment or under a demanding timeline when we need to. Accomplishing those things can bring me a great feeling of satisfaction and contentment. However, it was difficult to be content in a year that has been unprecedented in our lifetimes.

Most of us have faced at least some pain, suffering and loss over the course of the year, and while we may know that we still have a ways to go to get back to a more normal business model, it is coming. However, if you are like me, then you’ve heard the term “new normal” more times than you can count, so certainly there will be changes from the previous “business as usual” that we may have been accustomed to.

But, isn’t it always about change? Certainly change is the one constant. Over my nearly two decades in the countertop industry, there’s not been a time where something wasn’t in flux. Whether it was market or economic conditions, product offerings, new methodologies, advancements in machinery, equipment and other technologies, changing paths to market, or numerous others, things have come a long way.

Sometimes the changes are gradual, and other times they are forced on the industry by conditions beyond our control, such as the current case. If you haven’t spent time learning new software systems to connect remotely with your team and peers, and revising your safety protocols, for starters, then you are probably in trouble. It isn’t likely these things will just go away in the new year, or in some cases ever.

So, the happenings of 2020 have kept us on our toes, and I will admit I broke my vow to find more “me time” this past year. However, that time will come because one of the biggest lessons I learned was that we can’t take the things we love and appreciate for granted.

So, while it might not be tomorrow, or next week, or even next month, in the new year, I’m once again going to challenge myself to work hard, but also, for the benefit of my work, as well as my family, my friends and myself, I’m going to also to try to remember to take time for the other important things in life.

I still would argue that one of the key elements of all of the time and effort that goes into a job well done is that it comes with rewards. While certainly there are a number of benefits — financial security, a feeling of satisfaction, social status, etc. — one of the rewards should be time for yourself. And that is often the one thing we sacrifice when we should be taking advantage of it. There’s not always tomorrow to take a day off or to spend time with the family or take that vacation you’ve been looking forward to. So, while there’s always more to do to advance our businesses and our careers, we must learn to also look for the opportunities to reap the rewards of our efforts when possible.

I wish you all a safe, healthy and prosperous new year, and I hope we’ve all learned that our situation can change in spite of anything we do. While we need to push hard to keep our business lives moving forward, we also need to plan time for the other important parts of our lives outside of work.

Work will be around long after we are gone, but some of the things we love most might not be.

As always, I look forward to your feedback.

Sincerely,

Kevin Cole, Publisher & Editor kevin@isfanow.org