I heard the national economic news this morning. I heard the unemployment-claims-filed report. I heard the total number of deaths due to the Covid-19 virus, and I heard about the recent spike in virus cases reported in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois. That’s a lot of misery at once, and I found my stubborn self immediately thinking “I can’t let events dictate my success.” Collectively, we cannot let events dictate our success.

Turn Off The News

I am not saying stick your head in the sand. I’m suggesting that after you hear the morning news, you file it away, then get busy doing what you need to do. What you know you can do. Go back to your Plan, and I’ll say it again: plans don’t have to be grandiose and complicated. Maybe especially now, a business plan should be simple and flexible. Go back to last year and revisit all the things you did very well, the things that propelled you forward. Can you do any of those things now? If you can’t, can you perform at least some of them better? Have you given these same instructions to people you have mentored, or to your kids as they grow and develop? That’s how simple our lives and our work need to be right now, I believe.

History Repeats Itself—Same Problems, Different Actors

Last week I spent some time reading about the Great Depression. It lasted 10 years, which is incomprehensible to us now. Surely with all our technological advances, our current generations of leaders can find faster ways to relieve global economic distress and commercial failure? I like to hope so, but in the meantime, I’m going to see what I can do about my own and my community’s economic distress. What are we currently doing regionally that remains necessary to other parts of the country? These businesses are the ones that impact me and that I can work with. It’s healthier for me to be short-sighted when I look for viability in the marketplace. Keep it simple. Look harder at close to home first. Don’t let today’s events become paralyzing.

Can We Share Our Fears, Our Uncertainties, And Our Doubts?

News like this morning’s news creates fear, uncertainty, and doubt. These are three emotions that can catch up to even the most determined business people. So like we are coached to do, we own the FUD, then we move on. The key word being “move.” Don’t get caught standing still. If you were walking and you fell into a hole, your first reaction is to start looking for a way to get out, right? So let’s all be looking for ways to get out of this hole. A good life is worth fighting for.

Aptica is an Information Technology management services company, but we have learned that to be good at IT, we also must thoroughly understand how business in general works. Part of our service is to assess what you have, understand where you want to go, then plan how to help you get there. If we can help you, give us a call. The conversation and the assessment are free.

Jason Newburg, 260.243.5100, ext 2101, is the founder and owner of Aptica LLC. This IT management and support company has been serving small to medium-sized businesses for 19 years in the region that includes Angola, South Bend, and Fort Wayne, IN, Battle Creek, MI, and Toledo OH.