Top Three Takeaways – January 4th
- Control what you can control. It’s an old saying. It’s cliché. It’s especially effectual right now. It’s a natural thing to want to look at the date on a calendar and hope that life gets better. It’s safe to say that 2020 was the worst year of most of our lives. We’d have to go back to the World War II era to find a year which had such a widespread negative effect on our society. Both are ironic reminders that there is only some much we can control (given that both threats were created in Asia but delivered to our shore). But just as World War II was thrust upon us by an attack at Pearl Harbor, not a particular date or year, the pandemic didn’t start on January 1st of 2020 and of course it didn’t go away with December 31st either. In fact, none of the bad stuff from 2020 did. Related, despite the meaningful progress with vaccine rollouts, the historical peak of flu season is mid-February which suggests we could continue to see an increase in COVID cases for at least another month. This was recently illustrated with the whooping 21,000 new daily cases reported in Florida on January 1st. Safe to say it’s not the happy new year those Floridians were looking for and it’s also a reminder that none of the bad stuff from 2020 just went away. That’s why it’s especially important for all of us to focus on controlling what we can control to make this year a better year starting with making today a better day. Which for many means...
- Resolutions. I’ve never been a big of fan of New Year’s Resolutions but I am a fan of self-improvement. According to a study by the University of Scranton, 81% of New Year’s Resolutions fail. While resolutions may vary from person to person, the reason is mostly ubiquitous. There’s nothing about a date on a calendar which will result in a true commitment to meaningful change in your behavior. At whatever date you decide to commit, that’s a resolution which matters. Now, if the date on the calendar can be a positive catalyst, that’s great. But that’s also why fewer than 1 in 5 work out in the end. If you want to make today a better day, this year a better year, you’ll have to commit to it every day but that’s actually a good thing if you think about it. And speaking of that which we in South Florida can’t control but will be meaningfully influenced by this is set to be...
- A week for the ages. The two most important runoff elections in US Senate history happen tomorrow in Georgia. A contested presidential election will play out in congress on Wednesday. It all matters. Big time. But back to controlling what we can control. In just under two months the 2021 Florida state session will take place. Right now state representatives and senators are working on their legislative agendas. Want to make a difference politically this year? What do you want to see happen in South Florida this year? Have you talked with your elected representatives about it? When was the last time you engaged with your county commissioner or your municipal officials? One of my key themes from 2020, every election has consequences and it’s often those closest to you which have the biggest impact on your daily life, is one I’d love to see acted on in mass by South Floridians this year. It could also be a key to making 2021 a better year for all of us by controlling what we can control and using the influence we all possess right here at home.
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