Ol’Man MO’s Tips on staying motivated during the COVID-19 Crisis – and thereafter
By MANFRED MOSCHNER
Vienna
May 2020
1. Move on Do not dwell on past successes/failures
2. Maintain Control Never become too “busy”, this just means you are not in control of your time
3. Embrace Change Keep your mind open and prepare to adapt quickly
4. Stay Happy Everyone must have a hobby, it is absolutely necessary to balance work and life
5. Be Kind Always treat others with respect – and they will do the same to you
6. Take Calculated Risks You will never succeed if you do not take chances, make calculated leaps forward
7. Accept Failure Do not give up! Failure is part of the process
8. Celebrate others’ success Support others and applaud them on their achievements
9. Be present, invest your energy wisely Develop and nurture the so-called “efficiency complex”: never waste time and energy
10. Accept and learn from your past mistakes and behaviour Accountability: Past mistakes provide good guidance for the future
11. Enjoy your time alone Exist independently. Only a “free and clear mind” can make wise decisions
12. Be prepared to work and succeed on your own merits Independence is key to personal growth and success
13. Evaluate your core beliefs It is important to have a solid set of values in order to have personal success and satisfaction
14. Embrace discomfort Everything that is new is uncomfortable, you will never grow if you do not go out of your comfort zone
15. Stay Persistent Whenever you are convinced that your way is right, keep on track
16. Reflect on your progress Evaluate what has worked, what has not, and adjust accordingly
Source: The [above] list of recommendations is based on a similar list I found years ago in LinkedIn. At that time, I copied the list only – and relied upon storing the original. This was deleted by LinkedIn in the meantime so that I am not capable of providing the original source. The readers may forgive this omission – and hopefully the [original] author too. P.S.: I hope the [original] author will like my revised edition. |
These tips are based on observations of how people moved through crises – both economic and personal ones – and how they came out of any crisis even stronger than before. During my working lifetime, I have seen six major – international – crises; and on another one, the crisis of 1973, I did academic work as a student.
Thus, people ask me again and again diverse questions:
Isn’t each crisis different? Or are there common traits?
Indeed, at least in the last four crises, one common trait can be seen:
They all are results of undue intervention of “the state” resp. its cronies – executed against commercial logic or even the most simple common sense, unbalancing the mechanisms of economy.
Isn’t the actual crisis special?
Indeed, it is special.
Never before has a health crisis, caused by (another) infectious disease, been used as a scapegoat to hide a true economic crisis to such an extent.
An economic crisis which has been caused by excessive monetary policy mainly.
And never before has the political class succumbed to temptation so fast to exploit the situation and grasp more or less totalitarian powers. Irrespective which ideological story-book they used to grab power, they have sacrificed centuries of fight for freedom and civil rights within the glimpse of an eye. Only at wartimes, political decision makers have caused so much collateral damage to so many.
But to whose benefit?
What are the alternatives?
Alternative 1: is a development of a mixed feudal-totalitarian society like the Roman Empire:
People will be happy with “panem et circensem”
- “Panem” being comparable to today’s “Covid subsidies” created from fiat money
- “Circensem” today coming from video streaming and online gaming
The last centuries will then only be a short window in history – comparable to the Roman “Res Publica”.
Alternative 2: People wake up and start:
- to take away powers from power-hungry politicians, which will only be possible if the institutions by themselves will be curtailed,
- to limit powers to the levels of competence,
- in special to decide relevant issues on the level which also has the closest ties (incl. payment).
To achieve Alternative 2, the rule of law has to be re-established:
“Like guardrails on a curving highway, the rules exist for all – but there will always be those who desire rules for others but not for themselves.
Only the bravery of those who love freedom can curtail those who wish to use calamity to satisfy their lusts for control.”
And avoid all those who claim good intentions:
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.” (C.S. Lewis)
P.S.: I have got a few questions myself, too:
- How can anybody think that recovery from a crisis can be handled via accelerating destruction of capital and welfare?
- Will those who benefit from deepening the crisis be ever held responsible?
- Will they take their “fair” share in the damage they produce?