Does anyone remember what life was like back in January 2020?  

I turned 48 years old in January, which is a significant number for me, and made my personal declaration to the world that this was going to be my year! Read Why Here. This was going to be a great year and an incredible start to a new decade. But then the world stopped. Literally, our entire world came to a standstill as we attempted to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Most of us have been quarantined in some form for the past four months. We are trying to wrap our heads around what exactly is going on and how this pandemic will change our world. I have been through a full range of emotions over the past few months. My feelings have ranged from shock, to fear, to sadness, to confusion, to frustration, to anger, and possibly even to disgust. These emotions are a stark contrast to how I was feeling at the beginning of 2020.  

In January my new business, 6 Months 2 Success, was just starting to pick up momentum after more than two years of preparing to launch. I was feeling joy, gratitude, hope, pride, serenity, and love. We had booked engagements nearly every day promoting the business and we were seeing the positive results of the program in people’s lives. Members were finding jobs who had been out of work for months. Other members were finally taking control of their health. People were finally accomplishing goals that they had wanted to accomplish for years, and for some, even decades. All of the hard work that we had put in over the last two years of designing the program and in developing the app was feeling like it was worth it and that it was making a difference in people’s lives. Then COVID-19 reared its head and all the momentum suddenly came to a screeching halt.  

I know I am not alone in this experience. This is the only time in my life that I can remember the entire world being affected by the same thing. No country, no industry, no occupation, no family, and no person in the world has escaped the impact of this worldwide pandemic.  

The overwhelming consensus is that everyone just wants 2020 to be over with. Honestly, I was beginning to feel the same way. I just wanted to open my eyes and it was 2021, with a fresh start and with the pandemic behind us. Of course, that’s impossible, and we shouldn’t want to close our eyes and wish the next six months away.  

Time is our most precious resource. The next six months can be a great six months. Instead of having the mindset that we just want 2020 to be over with, what if we had the mindset of making the second half of 2020 as productive as we possibly could? What if we look for things that we put off because our life was so busy with activities and vacations? What are some of the things that we can do to be productive even though there is a global pandemic? What goals have been taking a backseat to all the busyness in your life that you now have time to accomplish? What can you focus on that was previously lost in the shuffle? Maybe it’s your health, relationships with your family, or writing that book you’ve always talked about.

One of my favorite concepts is that things only have the meaning you are willing to give them. If you want to give the turmoil of 2020 a negative meaning, there is definitely enough evidence out there to do so. But I ask you to look at this from a different point of view: When have you ever had the opportunities to work on things in your life like you do right now? We have never had an opportunity like this before in our lives! Frankly, I hope we never do again.  

Let's approach this second half of 2020 with the mindset that we can accomplish things that we will probably never again have the opportunity to. What are you going to do with your second half of 2020 to make it one of the most productive times in your life?

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