Forecast 2021: Holiday Cheer, New Year Fear

COVID holidays: Happy or sad?  Better or worse?  Do it up or don’t bother?

Whatever you choose, I wish you some peace this holiday season, and I thank you profusely for being a reader of this publication.   

From the one page newsletter I printed and mailed by hand every month to the digital age of calling this my blog, it’s been a journey that some of you have been on with me from the start. That does not go unnoticed.  If you’re new, I welcome you and am delighted to have you as a part of our community.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to you all!

I’m never the first one to make predictions and rarely am I the first to comment on the controversial.  I take my time and assess. I comment when I feel strongly that I should do so.   It’s out of character, then, that I am going to make some predictions for 2021.

• COVID-19 will obviously still be a factor for many months. The financial implications and employment picture can paint a very scary picture, but I ask you to look at some positives with me.

• Living anywhere you want is a possibility in 2021.  Remote work will not stop after COVID-19 restrictions ease up.  Not everyone likes it, but when children are back in school, those that liked working remotely will probably be able to keep doing it.  I’ve already had clients move someplace far from where their employer is with their company’s blessing, and that seems to indicate we’ve proven that face time doesn’t equate to productivity.

• Your mental health, well-being, and physical health will matter more to companies than it has in the past after getting through COVID-19.   We may actually see an increase investment in such, as it’s become obvious how crises can slow down business significantly.

• The gig economy got some respect during COVID-19 as many states recognized unemployment benefits for the self-employed for the first time.  The gig worker is not going anywhere, and it is how many people will cope with industry changes and being laid off.

• The hospitality, live-entertainment, and restaurant industry will be back with a vengeance, yet the question remains as to how much damage was done and did these establishments survive long enough to be resuscitated?  I hope we will have fair lending practices to bring back these staples of our social and cultural life we took for granted.

• The political climate will improve slightly, but the country remains divided, so it will be up to the individuals to reset the tone.   If a pandemic could not bring people together, a war won’t either. I’m reminded of a secular prayer:  Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.  Fear is divisive and creates scarcity. Peace within us requires hard work, but it needs to be done. Do your part in 2021.

• Climate events will continue to remind us who is in charge. The automobile industry decided to keep moving ahead with the development of clean energy cars despite some restrictions being lifted.  They know that consumer demand is to save the earth, and the need to do so remains.  When we are out of the COVID-19 disruption,  people will think about this again. 

Allow me to point out that the two months that most of the world was shut down in March and April, the pollution over China, India, and parts of the U.S. was significantly reduced. We can do this. We just have to have the will.

• We all know that the stock market doing well is not the equivalent of most of this country’s (U.S.) employees doing well.  The experience of financial comfort will keep pushing upward and not reach downward unless policies change. Any opportunity to upgrade your skills and stay relevant is important to keeping your personal economy doing well.  More work will be automated, so remember to upgrade skills that can’t be automated while staying up-to-date with the latest technology.

We have to remain nimble and not give in to fears. When we are afraid, we tend to freeze up or want to avoid by doing nothing.  Times of great change are times of great opportunity if you are willing to initiate and NOT wait to see how things work out.   We are going to be OK.  Be an imperfect work in progress and keep moving.

2021 awaits.  Let me know how I can help.

“If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.”
― Lao-tse