I spent the new year like many of you I am sure. I had finally managed to get away for a very short break up the coast, I had put the craziness of 2021 behind me, grateful just to have survived yet another challenging year, and hoped that maybe, just maybe we could get back on track in 2022.
I wrote down my goals, created a plan of how I might be able to achieve those goals and cemented it all in with a morning walk to the beach to watch the sunrise…
Sunrise on Little Bay Beach – South West Rocks
For those that know me, this is nothing new. I have been doing this and setting goals and building my business and career forever. The difference this year however was the two years that had come before. After the bushfires of 2019/2020, then the first round of the pandemic, then it’s return in 2021… I was feeling a little beat, certainly in great need of the break I was enjoying.
We have had a longer break from publishing than any other year, largely in part to our new fortnightly cycle, but also because we really need the rest.
What I did not anticipate was getting COVID whilst away on our break (first Kellie, then it was my turn).
We are double vaxxed, we checked in everywhere we went, we sanitised, we wore masks, we did everything we were meant to, however, we still caught COVID.
For me, it was not like an ordinary flu. It hit me for six, and with an underlying rare lung disorder (Alpha1 AntiTrypsin Deficiency) it was a bit scary to go through. Nothing like finding it hard to breathe to put the fear in you when you are unwell.
Thankfully I am on the other side now, however, I feel there is still some way to go and others concur that it takes a good few weeks to get back to full energy levels.
So here I am, with goals and plans and facing what I believe will be another pretty tough year in business, all off the back of finally succumbing to the dreaded COVID.
From a business point of view, I think the first half of this year will be the real test for a lot of businesses that are still struggling, and now there is very limited assistance from all levels of Government. We have seen a huge impact on our advertising in the publication, but are looking at diversity of products to be the thing that helps us get through, so we can continue to bring you this free paper into the future.
It’s not going to be an easy one, but with any luck, this region can get back on its feet and have a good year which will cement a very bright future.
Front page image – Sunrise over the Millpond at The Foundations Portland.
