How to Stay Positive and Productive – 2020 Review #4

In two of the earlier posts of this series, we have seen how the course of 2020 changed abruptly in March 2020. We saw how the worldwide searches for Digital shot up and those for Artificial Intelligence bottomed out in March 2020. So, as we look back at the Year in Review, it is time to look at another event. My first e-book on ‘How to Stay Positive and Productive in Your War Against Corona’ got published in March 2020.

Motivation for the book on How to Stay Positive and Productive

The pandemic was threatening to change the way we work and live even during February 2020. However, it did not appear from conversations with people that most of them had any inkling of what was in store. By the middle of March, the first lockdown for a day was announced in the form of a ‘junta curfew’. If you read between the lines, you would know that this was not a one-day affair.

When the lockdown was announced for a couple of weeks, the situation started to become amply clear. I realized that this experience will be challenging. We needed guidance on how to stay positive and productive during this period of lockdown. With this thought in mind I wrote an article on Things to do during the Lockdown on 24th March 2020.

Precursor to the Book

Little did I know at that stage, that this article would be the precursor to a book. The article received good response and encouraged me too. A few people told me that it changed their outlook of how to deal with this period. Needless to mention, the gratitude people expressed motivated me to do more.

Within a week of writing the article, I had expanded my thoughts and published an ebook on ‘How to Stay Positive and Productive in Your War Against Corona’. The most common reaction I got when people started hearing about the book was that of surprise. People were taken aback by the speed with which the book got published. During this period, most people were struggling to come to terms with the lockdown. Many were speculating about the future course of the pandemic. Some even thought that this will be a 2-week paid holiday before we go back to normal!

Gratitude to the Readers and Reviewers

However, as the year draws to a close, let me take this opportunity to thank my readers. It is only because of their feedback that I was encouraged to write the book. None of us can exist in a vacuum or a silo and I realized that this is even more true of authors and creative souls. I am thankful that the readers’ faith continued from my articles to the book as well.

The book was extremely well received and achieved excellent ranking on Amazon. More importantly, it was able to help the readers and they reciprocated by writing some wonderful reviews. Certainly these were some of the most cherished memories of an otherwise tumultuous 2020.

Interestingly, people had very diverse takeaways from the book, as you can see below.

Tone for the Year – How to Stay Positive and Productive

It will be an understatement to say that 2020 has been the most challenging year of our lives. I personally know of so many people who battled mental health issues during the year. There were so many who could not motivate themselves to follow daily routines while working from home.

However, I am happy that the book and it’s title set the tone for me and for quite a few of my readers. I am grateful that I was able to both teach and learn how to stay positive and productive during this period.

Outlook for 2021

The jury is still out regarding the long term impact of the pandemic. However, one thing is clear. There will be irrevocable structural changes in the way the world works and lives. The turn of the year is a great time for introspection. This year, we should think about how we can make permanent changes to our lifestyle. How can we be ready for the New Normal that awaits us in 2021 and beyond?

Year in Review 2020

Check out the master article for the Year in Review 2020 that contains links to all the other posts in the series. Bookmark that page on the browser to read more about each of the 20 thoughts from the past year and lessons for 2021.

About The Author

Rajiv Maheshwari is a business and start-up advisor, and the co-founder of From The Experts Mouth. He is a management professional with over 25 years of experience, and worked as CEO for a decade, and in leadership roles with NYSE listed companies such as Accenture and WNS.

He is a Chartered Accountant and MBA (Director’s Merit List from IIM Bangalore) and an autodidact, who is on the path of self-directed life long learning and sharing. He is a thought leader, author and keynote speaker and has developed several frameworks to bridge the gap between academia and industry.