We are currently experiencing a great change. This coronavirus epidemic has created a great disturbance worldwide. Most people alive today have never experienced anything like this and therefore most people are feeling anxious and worried about what will happen in the future and how their lives will be impacted. I am not a fortune teller and I cannot see the future, but the one thing that I do know is that with great change, comes great opportunities.
In times of great change, so many opportunities present itself. It’s about understanding that opportunity is the greatest, when great changes are happening. Most people have goals and dreams that they never get to because their life has gotten too comfortable. It’s easier to stay complacent when everything is good enough. Sometimes a great crisis is a necessary stimulus for us to get off our duffs and do something different! It can be a great force of change, like a swift kick in the pants that we all need but never do voluntarily.
What are some of these opportunities? I am not aware of ALL the opportunities but there are plenty in all areas. In terms of finance, there are stocks that thrive in an atmosphere like this. For example telecommunication stocks and home entertainment stocks are doing really well right now. Everyone is staying home and people still need to connect for work or in their off time. Many people are playing video games or watching shows. Short term investing in these stocks have been doing well. In terms of long term investing, oil and airline stocks have been hit really hard. It could be a good time to invest in these as people will drive again and planes will fly again.
Outside of the financial realm, it’s also a great opportunity to get projects done around the house. I have found that my clients who have home projects are really enjoying this time since now they have time to complete some projects that have been sitting for years! When I went to Home Depot, the cashier mentioned they are busier than ever since people are doing lots of remodeling projects.
It is also a great time to relax and refuel the body energy cells! You can binge watch all your latest shows and play all your favorite games and do all these activities until you burn out on them. Then when everything opens up again, you will no longer have the urge to do those things and focus your energy on other activities that you may have always wanted to do but felt like you didn’t have the energy for!
In a work situation, it can be a great time to add value to other people, take an ad hoc leadership role to support team members and build connections or support systems. When the company I worked for decided to make some major changes, I took advantage of the opportunity to utilize some of my skills I had acquired in other jobs to join boards and task forces to implement some ideas I had envisioned.
This coronavirus situation is creating major shifts in most people’s worlds. Many people are recoiling from it and seeking safety. Safety is definitely important, however when an opportunity like this comes up, it is also incredibly useful to zoom out and see the big picture and find ways to take advantage of it. An opportunity like this does not come up often. How are you going to make the most of this time?