My uncle Bob (RIP) several years before he passed, began including a question/advice in his greetings and goodbyes. He may have said them even earlier and felt I was now old enough to appreciate it.
The question: "Have you made any new mistakes?" The advice: "Make new mistakes!"
The implied converse being: try not to repeat a mistake.
It was resonant the first time he said it, and on many occasions since, but the emergence of this COVID-19 pandemic has really underscored it.
All of the previous pandemics in the past 20 years were contained/never made it far beyond their points of origin, but now, with a host of other complications (natural and man-made), we're at an (apologies for overuse) unprecedented point in history. Outbreaks such as H1N1 and Ebola should have served as warnings and in fact they did for some and were ignored by others.
As I write this the world is almost at a virtual standstill.
The job gains of the past 12 years have been decimated and so many millions are claiming unemployment the automated systems have crashed.
The flu pandemic of 1918 has eerie parallels to COVID-19, from the "official recognition" of its start in the US in March, to the impact on all sectors of the economy and stress on health care providers. A report titled "Economic Effects of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic" authored by Thomas A. Garrett (November 2007) draws conclusions that we are now experiencing in 2020.
What matters now is that mistakes are not repeated if not avoided.
Considering predictions of more pandemics resulting from climate change (just one type of the challenges it presents) independent enterprise -- entrepreneurship – is becoming more crucial than ever before. And leveraging technology, as has been so acutely demonstrated in proliferation of video conferencing, working from home and online education, makes it a quick and affordable way to develop a business.
Some of the businesses in development at Diverse Elements are:
- Marketing software and counseling for expedited debt and mortgage payoff
- Video marketing for small business and individuals in a number of niches
- Chatbot development with added workflows for automated CRM
- Educational material for online strategies
- Ideas for side hustles
There are other projects underway that involve music and graphic arts, one which will be a prototype for (hopefully) a live production in the near future.
There are a number of other opportunities being analyzed, particularly relevant to current events; at least one concerns the ecology, another mindfulness...in other words not a single dependency.
I like the odds.
The major point here is to develop multiple income streams so that when one dries up others continue to flow. Not only can an online stream be set up in as little as a day or less, but it can act as a precursor to one or more streams that involve offline activity.
We are confident this terrible period will pass, and as one governor from NY put it, we need to plan for the worst and the best. Comparatively speaking, any obstacles contended with before must seem surmountable now. We must realize how precious time is and be more aware of how we spend it.
This must include self fulfillment; a broad category to be sure, encompassing everything from personal best to family well being and security to community and societal contribution. Working to live rather than live to work.
I invite you to engage with Diverse Elements Online on the web and social media.
Let's make that meaningful change that allows us to chart our course.
Great read, thanks for sharing your thoughts in this difficult time for all of us.
Both my husband and I live in Los Angeles, and if there is one thing you can say about being here it’s anti-minimalism. Everywhere you turn there is an abundance of posh restaurants, fancy shops, quick lifestyle, dealing with horrible traffic etc. When Coronavirus hit and lockdown was imminent it was definitely a humbling experience for all of us.
Adam and I found ourselves out of jobs and quickly burning through our savings and with super high cost of living here we had to turn to very minimalistic lifestyle and honestly it might be the best thing that happened to us. I believe we appreciate each other more, see more pleasure in simple things and are overall more happy, despite all the restrictions. One of the biggest blessings came as an inspiration for me to start my own business, an organic & vegan skin care brand with big focus on being eco-friendly and minimalistic.
Despite the difficult situation, there are brights spots all around us and we are hopeful for a better future soon.
Thanks again for sharing and stay safe!
Hello, and thank you for your experience. I know LA and like all of CA very much. It seems most often that
cataclysmic events are catalysts for innovation; this website was born out of “market forces” that kicked
in once a certain birthday was reached. Congratulations on your venture!
I am also happy to hear you and your husband have discovered a more meaningful and spiritual connection with
each other as well as those around you. I’m fortunate that my wife and I are weathering this storm as strong
if not stronger, as ever.
Please stay tuned as Diverse Elements will be covering a variety of areas that will help navigate the rough
and unknown. I encourage you to explore the free offers intended to support businesses such as yours.
Keep up and keep strong!
Multiple income streams is something I’m more and more doing as the work as dried up with my main income. So other areas that I now know off I’m exploring.
Sorry to hear about your uncle Bob and for sharing in this article. What are resources you recommend for building different revenue streams?
Hello Brandon Guillermo, this time will truly pass and we need to be innovative. Also very interesting was your uncle’s phrase. That is: make new mistakes, but not the mistakes that you have already made.
Thanks for posting!
I am so Sorry to hear about your Uncle bob Thank you for Sharing this Beautiful Article.
Thanks again for sharing and stay safe!
Excellent text! Entrepreneurship is always a big challenge, especially in times of covid or after panthemic. Looking for tools and resources that can help is always a good alternative.
Covid has impacted all of our lives. We lost friends, family and now we have to deal with the impact on the economy. What remains for us is to believe that we will have better days.