I remember starting REDi Recruitment at the start of the credit crisis (Oct 2008) and people asked me (and told me) if I was crazy? Well, no-one else was crazy enough to do something that silly, so it eliminated all of my start-up competition. All I needed to do was hold on for dear life and swim through the debris – I ended up top of the game whilst my main competitors down-sized. I did not let the world’s economic and financial crisis go to waste and took a massive leap into the unknown and just had faith in my own abilities at the time and knew in my gut, that it just felt like the right thing to do.
The above heading does not come from me – I was listening to Robin Banks and John Kehoe (great motivational speakers and top authors too) the other evening and this slogan came from them, so I wanted to give credit to them for saying it and wanted to give my view thereafter. The bottom line is that times of crisis are when we are really able to evaluate life in its simplest sense.
I look at a crisis and often wonder where I can make a difference for the better. I look at my own life and my business and realise that through the good times, you often don’t notice the cracks that form, but when the tides turn, you see how many cracks there are and try to fix them when it is possibly too late to do so.
I wanted to reiterate what I took out of John’s and Robin’s talks the other evening and add some of my views too:
- Try to repeatedly affirm and visualise that you will come out of this a better person. This is a time for reflection where you are able to make the changes you never thought possible. Your mind is powerful – what you say, think and do are very powerful forces of attraction.
- Is there anything in your life that you are doing that may have been inappropriate or non-fulfilling? Take this time to reflect on how you want to change – even if it is the smallest thing for now (like reading a chapter of a book per night, or setting a time when work stops in the evening or more exercise).
- I am sure you have survived some form of a crisis before. Acknowledge that you have come out of it better, even if you didn’t think so whilst you were going through it. It may have been a break up with a partner, or the death of a loved one or losing your job. For me, I survived a near-fatal plane crash – I came out of it (after the trauma of it) by knowing that money wasn’t the be-all in life and that time with my family and enjoyment of life was more important. I now never miss any of my kids’ school activities, I play more golf and work less too. For my wife, she survived breast cancer and chemotherapy – she came out of it valuing that life is short and decided to help other people in similar situations. What I am saying is that whatever is happening now will shape your future – the choice is yours how you want to handle it.
- Look at your future self in 3 years time. Imagine that future self and look back at your current self and look at how you are reacting now to the current Covid-19 situation. Did you react correctly? Did you step up to the plate? Did you take on any new and improved practices? Did you show GRATITUDE?
- A crisis can make you a better person. How will this make me and my family better? Can I re-examine certain things in my life and ensure I come out better? Change is a good thing!!
- How do I ensure that I say this after the crisis: “That was the best thing that ever happened to me”. I remember being approached to go into recruitment 3 times. I turned the chap down twice, but he persisted. I am grateful for his persistence as when I finally joined his team, I realised that being an Accountant, was never my dream and that I had arrived at my dream job purely by chance. His persistence and my taking a leap of faith was the best thing that ever happened to me as it allowed me to eventually follow my dreams of setting up my own recruitment business. Can this be your time to make a change that follows your dream?
Wishing all my followers and followers-to-be good health, prosperity and happy times ahead. Let us enjoy life more and like I have always said to my fellow team members – just have FUN!