Skip to main content

Edition 305 – Pulling Up Stumps

Written by Dean Robinson.

And there you have it, another year done and dusted. As you’re reading this, Trish and I are already into the second week of a four week break. We’d decided that the disruption of the past two years, and our inability to take leave and travel as we would otherwise had done, had drained the tank early. It was time for a re-charge and last week we spent a fabulous week holidaying in our own great city of Sydney, enjoying life at the Taronga Zoo Wildlife Retreat.

As thoughts turn to Christmas, with our somewhat weird tradition here in Australia of cooking a hot roast meal on an even hotter summer’s day and decorating our homes with all the trappings of a winter celebration, now is a good time to reflect on the year that was.

  1. Resilience – if 2021 has taught us anything, it’s about the resilience of individuals as they have endured the various lockdowns, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne. Look at how life has bounced back once we’ve exited lockdown.
  2. Togetherness – people need people and that was one of the over-riding impacts of 2021 and the inability to engage with family and friends at various times throughout the year.
  3. Innovation – from home delivery to working from home, look at what changed and the speed of that change, when things needed to change? That in itself is a question for 2022 – can we do it, with the same degree of pace, when we may not need to?
  4. Frustration – I’m not sure that there won’t be long term collateral damage to the tourism industries in Queensland and Western Australia from their hard border stance the past two years. To think – you can fly from Sydney to London, but not to Perth!
  5. Cash – has proven the big mainstay of successful businesses over the past two years. I still believe it will be critical into 2022 as, should the world change again and the pandemic further disrupt our lives, those that haven’t banked enough cash should not expect any further Government handouts to supplement their Profit & Loss Statement.
  6. Exhaustion – felt by employees and business owners alike, many will stumble onto the beach in the next week or so and not necessarily be mentally and physically recovered by the time business resumes in the New Year.

To all of you, no matter what you celebrate and how you celebrate it, may this time of year bring you the chance to stop and reflect as you spend time with your families and loved ones. I look forward to engaging with you all again in 2022.

This Week’s Tip

“Switch off all devices –
they’re only distractions that take us away from those that are important in our lives”.