Last week, we discussed the year 2020 in our “Out with the Old” article. Today, we are going to look ahead to the new year. Some say the first day of the new year is no different from the last day of the previous year. They may be right – but, in my mind, starting a new year allows me the opportunity to hit the refresh button on my life. Therefore, I start every year with excitement and anticipation.
As we say goodbye to one year and hello to the next, it is good to reflect on where we have been, where we are, and where we would like to be. Is everything in your life exactly the way you would like it to be? I can rightly say I am content and satisfied with things as they are. However, that would be falsely admitting there is no room for improvement. There is always room for improvement.
The year 2021 will come with its own set of challenges. For example, we will still have to contend with Covid-19 and the effect it is having on the world around us. Many of us are starting the new year smack-dab in the middle of a severe drought. Cattle prices will most likely continue to be very volatile. It won’t take much to create wide swings in cattle prices.
We need to focus on the things we have some control over to deal with the things we have no control over. For example, we have no control over Covid-19, the weather and the markets – BUT we do have the ability to create a business that is resilient enough to survive whatever comes our way. I know some think I sound like a broken record when I keep saying we must find ways to increase our production per acre while decreasing our cost of production – but that is exactly what we need to do!
As we enter the New Year… I encourage you to reflect on where you are and where you would like to be – and then I encourage you to make things happen! Unfortunately, this will require change! You cannot continue doing things the way you have always done them and expect anything to change. However, once you get over your reluctance to change, the sky and your imagination will be your only limitations.