As you’ve no doubt heard by now from television or countless obnoxious podcast ads, we’re smack in the middle of something called “The Great Reshuffle.”
It’s basically the new year’s re-branding of “The Great Resignation” that probably feels a little less bleak for the biggest employers.
But what about entrepreneurs? We know they’re hustling—I mean, it’s basically every day they’re hustling. But are they shuffling?
In their way, yes. But it’d be a little more accurate to say they’re re-assessing, and re-engaging.
Entrepreneurs, freelancers, solopreneurs—no matter what name we choose to go by, we’re all used to being flexible. Our flexibility has always been one of our key advantages.
As Bruce Lee said: “Be like water, my friend.”
He most likely wasn’t speaking about Covid-19 when he said that, but he was speaking about surviving by adapting to circumstances.
And if that doesn’t sound like entrepreneurship in 2022, I don’t know what does.
The unique way that this pandemic has shaken the business world has resulted in new opportunities, new openings, new options.
Kind of like an earthquake that brings gold up to the earth’s crust. (That really happens, btw.)
When work situations become unacceptable or exploitative, when better options arise elsewhere, when the siren call of new challenges and rewards beckon—us entrepreneurs can turn on a dime and make the move without feeling tethered by layers and layers of corporate entanglements, obligations, and Bobs.
It’s no surprise that the amount of people becoming their own boss has risen at an unprecedented rate over the past few years. While these years have been extremely hard on many, many people, more and more of those same people are finding a light at the end of the early 20’s tunnel—moving on to new opportunities, better options, better situations than what they had before the pandemic.
A good chunk of these people, at least initially, “chose” to enter our world of entrepreneurship with little actual choice in the matter.
But as things continue to level out, as the croupier finally finishes shuffling the deck, these new entrepreneurs will have more and more choices opening up for them.
Entrepreneurs excel at problem solving, at figuring out the most uncomfortable situations—at enduring, surviving, and thriving.
But I can shout “necessity is the mother of invention” all day—what does this all actually mean for us in the near future?
Hold onto your entrepreneurial mindset. Wake up early, stay up late—grind but not at the expense of your health—grab a big cup of the strongest coffee in the world, and get to work.
The world—such as it is right now—is still yours. The big fish out there are struggling to compete with you.
Struggling to adapt to new situations like you.
Struggling to think like you.
If you can look for the new gold deposits that this economic quake has shaken up, rather than getting discouraged by all the changes and uncertainty, you can exit The Great Reshuffle in a much better position than how you entered it.
With the right kind of eyes, you can leverage the new positions of the cards to advance your business, achieve your goals, build your entrepreneurial legacy—and most importantly, keep being your own boss.
