That’s Rich! By Rich Lindblom
Even though studies show that less than 10 percent of all New Year’s resolutions are actually kept, 2021 is still young. So as far as I’m concerned, it’s not too late to make just one more New Year’s pledge, and I really want you to work hard on keeping this one.
Echoing Jim Ristow’s advice, my 2021 New Year’s resolution for every BrandSource member is to stay positive!
Look, we all know 2020 was a year unlike any other and one we probably never want to see again. But that is just a part of life. There will always be ups and downs in both your life and your business. I have always been a firm believer that it doesn’t matter what happens to you; what matters is how you deal with it. There was a saying I heard at a pretty young age and I always believed it was true: 10 percent of life is what happens to you; the other 90 percent is how you deal with it.
Let’s be honest, the only things in your life that you can truly control are the aspects of your own personal life. You can’t control the external things that happen around you or to you. Using last year as a perfect example, COVID-19 wasn’t your fault, and you had no control over it. Massive product shortages weren’t your fault either and you had no control over them. You can’t control the weather, the economy, or pretty much anything else for that matter.
The one thing you can control is how you deal with what’s happening around you and to you. And you do that by staying positive, by not letting the stuff happening around you get you down. Think about it for a minute. If you can’t control it, why would you let it drag you down?
When you stay positive a lot of things happen. Let’s call it “trickle-down positivity”:
- You are happier.
- Studies show that when you are happier, you are healthier.
- When you are happier and healthier, your family feels happier as well.
- When you give off positive energy at work, your employees feed off of it and do the same.
- When your employees feel good they are more productive.
- When they are more productive, you make more money and you are even happier.
Like I said, trickle-down positivity!
Need another reason to be positive in 2021? How about this: Things can always be worse.
I know that doesn’t sound very positive, but hear me out. No matter what situation you’re currently in, it could always be worse. Take the time to think about what I just said because it’s a revelation once you truly grasp it. No matter how dire your current situation may seem … it could always be worse. And once you realize that you can turn a negative into a positive.
Don’t believe me? Let’s try an exercise. I’m going to take a series of increasingly cloudy scenarios to show that things can always be worse — and how a few sunny thoughts can put even the worst situations in perspective.
“Business stinks and there’s not enough money coming in.” Fortunately, there are things you can do to cut expenses.
“I’ve cut everything I can, and business still stinks.” Good thing you have money in the bank for a rainy day.
“Business sucks and there’s no money left in the bank.” On the bright side, you still have a beautiful home and family.
“Things are so bad that I’m about to lose my house.” Thank goodness you have people in your life that love you.
We can keep going down that rabbit hole as deep as you want, but hopefully I’ve made my point.
It may sound corny, but if you really think about it, you’ll see I’m right. No matter how bad things may sometimes seem, they could always be worse. So try to look for the positive in everything, even if sometimes it might take a powerful microscope to see it. But I promise you there is a positive to be found in every situation. You just have to look for it.
Go ahead, it’s not too late to make one more New Year’s resolution. Say it with me: “I resolve to stay positive in 2021!”
Rich Lindblom is a former principal of Advanced Maytag Home Appliance Center in Schaumburg, Ill. He recently sold the 64-year-old family business and retired after four decades in independent retail.
