I am going to reach deep into the Brian Imrich wisdom treasure trove and share one of my golden lessons/rules. “If it starts in confusion, it ends in confusion.” I cannot recall how long ago I turned this lesson into a rule, but with my hard head I have to imagine I needed to learn it a number of times. I think we have all had those events, ideas, or decisions that before you even start the bus, you feel like the wheels have already fallen off. You try to coordinate a family party and after three days you don’t have a date, a commitment from anyone, the caterer you used last time retired unbeknownst to you, and the list goes on. In the moment, you stand there thinking, “Is this even worth it?!” Here is where my golden rule comes in to remind me that if it starts off this confusing, it is probably going to end just as confusing. Applying the rule doesn’t mean at the first sense of friction you abandon all effort, but it helps set your expectation of what may come. It is this realignment of expectations that helps you endure what may be on the road ahead and help decide if it is worth traveling after all.
In the current environment, I think one of the few appropriate words to describe how things started would be “confusing”. The Federal Reserve just announced another 2 trillion dollars is going to be added to their already ballooning balance sheet in hopes of stabilizing the economy. These are initiatives that have never in history been used and are seemingly impossible to model accurately. Armed with Brian’s simple rule, we can expect that things should end just as confusing, if not more confusing, than they started.
So you ask, “Well Brian, what is your rule for how to handle such a confusing ending?”
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I think the answer is one I can’t claim any credit for. In the absence of any solid information to base long-term decisions on, the best move is to focus on preparation. Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best…just don’t expect the worst or the best to be any less confusing than how we started.
Be Prepared. Be Safe. Happy Saturday! I mean Friday! I mean who the heck even knows anymore. Be Happy!