"Because Of Covid"

When you don’t get the results you want, it’s useful to look for reasons why. 

• I didn’t complete the project on time because ________.
• Our house didn't sell because ________.
• My daughter isn't talking to me because ________.

We can lump most reasons into 2 categories: 

• Explanations that help us understand what happened and improve in the future
• Rationale that helps us to feel better (it wasn’t my fault)

It's problematic when we mistake #2 for #1.

Over the past year, when things aren’t going well, Covid has been a frequently-cited reason, and understandably: the challenges are real, and it’s hard to argue against it.

But the danger is that we use Covid as a convenient rationale and miss a more addressable issue.

I’m having a lot of arguments with my family...

        ...because of Covid.

     versus:

        ...because I’m not listening and communicating as well as I might.

My sales are down...

        ...because of Covid.

     versus:

        ...because I'm still marketing to a pre-pandemic world.

Covid can be a category-1 or category-2 reason.  The key is recognizing which way you're using it.

Making clearer distinctions between category 1 and 2 reasons may be the difference between surviving the pandemic, and thriving in it (or at least coming out stronger than you went in).