Now is the Time to Look Ahead

Nature has stepped in to send us collectively to our rooms. And like all times similar, past and present, we do what humans do best: we adapt.

It’s tempting to look at current events, and see them unfolding forever. So now is the time to borrow from our history, and look to the future. This will pass. When the gates lift, and the world reopens for business, will you be ready for the vast opportunities? This moment is temporary, but the rest of your life awaits on the other side of it.

For students, this is a blessing in disguise. Aptly, it is from them we can learn the most.

Students are already looking towards their future, dedicated to overcoming new challenges for brighter pastures on the horizon. They already know the rich advantage of investing in themselves today, so that ‘tomorrow’ is on their side.

They are using this time in perhaps the most effective way: taking advantage of this temporary dip to propel them further forwards. Like a swimmer that drops below the water line to launch themselves up onto land.

So, more concisely, what can you do to turn a bad situation into a good opportunity?

1. Look ahead. The future is bright – the more you look for the positives, the more you’ll find. Obstacles and troubles come, but there’s far more to be found after they go.
2. Invest in yourself. When this brief situation passes, the rest of your life awaits. So use this time to continue your personal development and knowledge building.
3. Adapt and overcome. Face the challenges of the present consciously and identify what serves you best long-term.
4. Stay determined. All hardships, small and large, are tests of your resolve. Overcoming adversity is the greatest, truest source of reward.
5. Be a ‘Marathon Runner’. Endurance athletes train intensively in high altitude for weeks at a time, where the oxygen is thinner and training is more gruelling. With their bodies acclimated to those conditions, they get a significant competitive edge when racing at sea-level. The tougher it gets, the stronger you become.

The effects that this brief moment of human history have on you are within your control. It can’t beat you unless you let it. Now is the time to look ahead, and get equipped. When the world reopens, you will find yourself ahead of the game.