Achieve success in 2021 by finding meaning in the challenges of 2020

Looking back at 2020 brings mixed feelings. Interestingly, those feelings have changed for most of us with time.

I recall one day sitting at home (probably in April), when I should have been seeing patients, thinking, “Wow, how strange, I feel like I am experiencing grief.” Everyone in the year 2020 experienced at least some of what David Kessler calls the five stages of grief.

Mr. Kessler is one of the world’s leading experts on grief and grieving. His book, “On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss,” discusses the stages we go through when we lose someone or something, including when we experience large scale change.

GRIEF IN FIVE STAGES

The five stages of grief are:

Denial. This is not going to affect my life, my business or my family.

Anger. I cannot believe this is happening the year it was all supposed to be better.

Bargaining. Maybe if I do this one thing, it will go away.

Sadness. I don’t see an end in sight.

Acceptance. This is real, and I need to learn how to move on.

These stages are not linear, not timed and may not happen in any particular order, Mr. Kessler says. Some people jump right past the stages, and some people get stuck in a stage and feel like they can never get out.

RECOVERY AND ACCEPTANCE

Marcus Child, a leadership trainer, says recovery depends on three things:

1. The degree of the shock or change
2. The state you are in
3. The people around you

The first step to getting to stage five, which is acceptance and taking control, is to acknowledge the situation for what it is.

For example, if you look back at the year, you will see that when you stayed “in the moment,” you were able to function much better. Specifically, when you focused your attention on what you could control instead of what you could not, you were able to move forward.

Once through these stages and safely on to acceptance, the next step is what Mr. Kessler calls the sixth stage of grief: finding meaning.

In a recent interview about the pandemic and the stages of grief, Mr. Kessler said, “Finding meaning allows for post traumatic growth rather than post traumatic stress. It allows us to bring something positive to a difficult situation and be better prepared for the next one.”

MOVING FORWARD IN 2021

Take the time to find the meaning in the challenges of 2020 and move forward with me this year.

Maybe 2020 was truly a year of vision. I know I have found a new vision for my life. I have been reminded of what is truly important as well as where I should be spending my time. I have learned to live in the moment, and I have realized how important community can be — even if it is virtual. I can truly say I am “2020 Happy” and looking forward to 2021. I know you can be too if you try. OM

Email: april.jasper@pentavisionmedia.com

Twitter: @DrAprilJasper

Facebook: @OptometricManagement