2020 Year in Rearview
My final blog each year examines how far we’ve come in 12 months, and though 2020 might be one many don’t want to look back at, there is a lot to reflect on. Yes, Covid numbers around the globe are rising again. However, it is incredible how far we’ve come in 12 months; more than incredible, it is a stunning example of how resilient people are. The best part is that a miniscule light is shining through the tunnel of uncertainty.
We’ve talked about change many times, and if you were uncertain previously, 2020 definitively demonstrated the value of flexibility, rapid adaptability and resourcefulness. We instantly changed when, where, and how we’re working. We installed critical health protocols protecting tens of thousands in our industry and beyond. We shifted resources, innovated new ideas, and invested in products like free-standing glass partitions.
Nonetheless, we’re all looking forward to the end of 2020, as if we’ll wake up New Year’s Day 2021 and things are miraculously back to “normal.” There are critical lessons to learn and 2021 will surely come with new challenges. Even if there are the slowdowns projected for commercial building, I remain positive, as are most I speak with. We’re moving forward with vastly greater experience, better efficiency, we’re leaner (my waistline excluded ... would blame gym closures but I never had a membership), and when the sun starts shining on the glass industry again, we should have a greater appreciation of the warmth perhaps we took for granted in prior years.
Reflection is imperative to grow; it will be particularly interesting defining the lasting impact of 2020 10 years from now. Mistakes are easier to see and correct, the things we do right are much harder to define. With the end of this year coming quickly, take time to reflect on what we did right. Make new plans for 2021 and beyond that include hard lessons learned this year. A mentor once said to me in a letter, “There is nothing new in the world, we simply become aware of what has always been.” I’ve held onto that and lately I find it makes uncertainty less frightening.
On the Millennial front…Instagram shoutout for this blog goes to #la_glass located in Miami, FL. I am a sucker for heavy glass, and LA Glass and Mirror does a lot of beautiful ¾-inch. Keep up the great work!
