A new year ushers in new goals, new plans, new friends and an overall sense of renewal. And although we can’t shake off 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic continues its impact on our region and the globe, we can still take a breath and properly welcome this new year.
Let’s start this year off with accomplishing a goal right away: go easy on yourself. An ongoing pandemic makes everything seem a bit tougher because it is! So, as you plan and prepare for the year to come, please recognize the hardships we have all faced — some much more than others. Keep a community-focused mindset and remember that community includes you.
The pandemic speaks for itself; it’s been a very difficult year. I want to take just a moment to highlight a small positive: refocusing our priorities. At the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, we know our priority is our members. It’s providing new and improved services to make their lives easier and to save them money. It’s advocating on their behalf and being the voice of business in front of all levels of government.
We strive to do everything we can for our members and for the business community, but this past year has allowed us to focus our efforts on what the members needed. We heard quickly from members that what they needed was information — and we got to work.
We collected updates from the government and updated our members almost every day. We sought out members experts on a number of topics to answer questions from businesses quickly and made it accessible to everyone for free. We partnered with government and SimplyCast to provide a free digital platform to all our members, helping them streamline their back-to-business plan. I urge you to take this month to ask yourself, “What’s my priority?”
If 2020 taught us anything, it is to take time to check in on your priorities. They will ebb and flow as the months move on. Let go of the ones that don’t quite matter much anymore. Just like the Chamber shifted away (temporarily) from in-person events to focus on high-quality virtual content, you can spend your energy on the projects, goals and hobbies that you can accomplish with the world on hold. When thinking about how you can implement those priorities, be kind to yourself. Not everything needs to get done tomorrow. Move forward cautiously and optimistically.
Happy new year! We’re in your corner. ■
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