The light of 2020.

This pandemic has elicited different consequences for different people. Although it is being associated with dark and challenging times, it has been a time of inspiration for others. For example, through the economic recession, there has surprisingly been an increasing emergence of start-ups.

What could be the cause of inspiration?

As we know, quarantine provided many of us with the time to self-reflect and indulge in things good for our souls. For some, this may have been challenging to do due to certain hardships. However, these hardships put people on different paths that they might not have had the courage to follow before. You do anything to put food on the table and make a living when you hit rock bottom right? After all, there is nothing left to lose.

On the other hand, others used it as an opportunity to follow their dreams due to the time on their hands. Some of these visions, in fact birthed due to the pandemic - it pushed people down the entrepreneurial route due to job scarcity.

Examples of big companies which were found during difficult times are Disney and Airbnb, setting off in the financial crisis and Great Depression. Such times opened doors and pathways for new ways of doing things, unlike the old, usual ways. Ultimately explaining why these companies are doing so well - they disrupted the industry with their innovation.

Peaking Innovation

• People have found new ways to interact - Zoom calls.

• Businesses had to adapt to remote working routines, realising it worked better for some business models. This helped save resources such as time and money, as well as highlight the importance of physical and mental wellbeing. Some companies are even conducting research into 4 day work weeks.

• Managers have assessed innovation strategies as it was quickly realised that companies who hadn't invested in this aspect were struggling.

• Greater use of robotics, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and automation.

• New environments and experiences for consumers

• Importance of safety in everyday places heightened, increasing individual hygiene practices.

• Solutions in support for climate change mitigation - less transport being used, CO2 levels decreased and water is clearer.

• Importance of emotional intelligence heightened.

• Nature got to see more of us.

As we approach the end of the year, it can seem like we lived through a daunting and gloomy time, but good also came out of it. It is all about searching for the positive in the negative.

As one of our favourite quotes states:

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." - Albus Dumbledore