Many of you reading this article barely made it through the year. You’re probably already seeing a lot of people posting highlight reels of the year on social media. Perhaps you’re getting another “brag letter” from a friend or family member in your Christmas card. For some, it may have been their best year ever. That’s awesome. For many others, this may have not have been their best year. If that describes you, don’t let that take away from your joy and sense of accomplishment. As they say, “comparison is the thief of joy.” You made it through a tough year and I want to acknowledge your resilience.
“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” – Nelson Mandela
Earlier this year, my business celebrated its 20th anniversary, an impressive milestone to be sure. Yet, it wasn’t our best year ever. For the first time in many years, our business did not grow in terms of employees or revenue. Things started to slide a little at the end of 2022. We didn’t lose money, but it wasn’t a super growth year like it’s been over the previous four years. Inflation and economic uncertainty have impacted many of our clients, some of whom are scaling back. When that happens, it impacts us. I don’t mind sharing that with you. Many people feel the need to share a false image of perpetual “I’m always winning” success online. I think it’s important to be candid here. If you’ve struggled this year, you’re not alone.
Being in business for twenty years has given me perspective. Over the course of my business career, it’s been my honor to receive many personal and organizational awards – several of which have been chronicled in this newspaper. I’m now at that stage of my life and career when the spotlight is not on me, it’s on others – mostly younger people. One of the benefits of being a previous award winner is that I get to sit on many of the selection committees that pick award recipients in our local community. We have some really impressive people in our community, fine businesses, and great non-profits. Yet, we also have many people doing great things that we never hear about – people who aren’t in the spotlight but are courageous and brave.
On a personal level, the same holds true. When I was younger, I was a fairly competitive age-group runner. Now that I’m older and dealing with arthritis, I’m not really running anymore. Although I stay fit, my best athletic days are behind me, and I live vicariously through others’ marathons, triathlons, and other athletic accomplishments. I have gray hair, wrinkles, and have a hard time staying awake past 9:30pm at night. Not only with athletics and health, but this is the same with life achievements. It’s fun to see my (now adult) children and many of the children of my friends graduate college, get married, have babies, and achieve other life milestones. Yet, for every winner and accomplishment, there are hundreds of others who aren’t publicly recognized. Their achievement is just making it – paying down student debt, handling setbacks, or just paying the bills. Sometimes I think it’s harder to “just get by” than it is to win something or achieve some life milestone. Just surviving is underrated.
Make no mistake, competition is part of life. I don’t advocate “dumbing down” standards so that everyone is a winner. But what I do know is that life has its ups and downs. Some winners don’t have to work as hard as those who are just making ends meet. Winning doesn’t last forever, but neither does losing. Our society likes to celebrate champions, money, and “famous people.” But there’s more to life than money and fame. Personally, I’m more inspired by people who overcome adversity and display resilience.
A friend of mine posted this recently online:
“I don’t think anyone really understands how tiring it is to act okay and always be the ‘strong’ one when in reality you’re close to the edge.” – Anonymous
I see you out there, survivors! You’re not alone. Here are some thoughts about what helps me get through tough times:
This is more realistic social media picture than most. #gowiththeflow Photo/TikTok
Finding my tribe – Both personally and professionally, the camaraderie of friends and family has been a lifeline. My tribe gives me perspective, a much-needed break from the “front lines,” and allows me to be who I want to be in a non-competitive way.
Celebrating small wins – This year, success was measured in modest terms. Sometimes, it was as simple as getting a new client, helping an organization meet their fundraising goal, helping a neighbor, or just waking up early to exercise. These small wins were important steps towards larger goals.
Adapting to change – If there’s one thing this year has taught me, it’s the importance of being adaptable. Artificial intelligence (AI), inflation, changing customer sentiment, and other life complexities have made even the simple stuff seem hard at times. Being agile and not stuck in the past is important. Long-time relationships change and evolve over time.
Having a positive attitude – I’ve been around long enough to know that nothing lasts forever and that many things are simply beyond my control. Truth is, you can do everything right and still not get the outcome you want. A positive attitude creates hope and encouragement for me, my team, my customers, and my family.
Being resilient – Resilience is the quiet strength that kept me going when times got tough, easy things became hard, and plans didn’t go the way I thought. Resilience (and perhaps some stubbornness) is what made me adapt, pivot, and find new ways to run the business and participate in the local community.
As we close this year and prepare for the next, I want to congratulate those of you who just barely made it. I see you and appreciate you. Remember, every challenge overcome is a testament to your strength and determination. Whether you’ve achieved great milestones or simply managed to get through each day, your journey is worthy of celebration. Here’s to you, who persisted despite the odds, who found joy in the small victories, and who continue to do the right thing, because it is the right thing to do.
To you, who made it through – congratulations! You’re a winner in my book.
[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year. Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran. He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. Sign up for the Country Fried Creative newsletter to get marketing and business articles directly in your inbox. ]