Like everyone else who has money in the stock market, I’m mourning the demise of our hard-earned investments. I’ve learned that it’s better to tune out the daily market updates.
My wife has a different approach. I guess it’s because she’s a retired financial advisor.
“Stocks are now on sale,” she proclaims. And then she invests even more.
I’m ok with it. She knows what she’s doing. And she’s not alone. Most savvy investors see this plummeting market as opportunity. I hope they’re correct. If not, then I’ll be working on my “will work for food” sign using my newly-learned Bikablo skills.
But this current crisis affords another opportunity. Maybe now is the time (since we all have more time than we usually do) to maximize a different investment. Now that we’re, for the most part, banned from our workplaces, business travel, and in some cases our jobs themselves. What if we were to use this newly-available time to invest in ourselves?
Think about it. If you were to read for one hour each day on a particular subject, it wouldn’t take long to become an expert it in. If you devote an hour each day to a new skillset, it wouldn’t take that long to master it. Right now, unless you’re a healthcare worker, first responder, truck driver, warehouse worker, or grocery clerk, YOU HAVE AT LEAST ONE EXTRA HOUR PER DAY!
Now imagine if this crisis lingers for a few more months. Or six months. Or, God forbid, a year. You could come out of this with a whole bunch of new, potentially-marketable, skills!
Trust me, I’m already on this. I’ve ramped up the amount of podcasts I’m doing because let’s face it, guests are a lot easier to come by these days. I’ve increase the amount of videos we’re shooting and curriculum we’re writing because I’m no longer wasting away hours on a plane or stuck in a airport. I’m working hard with my Bikablo and lettering skills so that we can produce more engaging training materials. We’re developing our programs to be delivered virtually, right now, since it will probably be some time before companies are ready for us to come back in and train managers.
There are always positives in any negative. And yes, I’m not always super optimistic, but I have to look at the bright side in this. And you do too. Jack Daniel’s Old Number 7 can ease the pain temporarily but it’s not healthy or a long term solution. Maybe it’s time to be proactive and treat our talents the way we would treat our investments. Use this downtime to purchase more stock for the future.
I’m anxious to see what you do with your time and talent. Please let us know what breakthroughs you’re working on!