Impermanence | v1.024
Observing small changes make a big difference
Hello, my People. It’s been a minute. So much has happened.
Dolly got her shot! Oprah got her interview. Beyoncé got her all-time Grammy record with 28 of them. While many of us continue to reflect on what’s happened this past year, we are also taking stock of what we’ve got — being grateful and revisiting our relationships — especially with time.
Did you know Dolly invested her time and seeded $1 million dollars for the Moderna vaccine? Oprah’s two-hour interview with Meaghan and Harry had a record global audience, and nearly broke the internet with its tweets. While the Grammy’s made records of its own with a ratings all-time low.
People are clearly still watching TV, but they are not as predictable as they used to be. Or perhaps they are more discerning now. Either way, small changes are happening in big, imperceptible ways.
Why big? There are so many options to consume content today, and this has meant that network TV alternatives are now primetime. Why imperceptible? Because it’s hard to explain why people are watching some things, and not others, and that’s hard to see and predict right now.
Marketers will be studying this moment for a while. I think that after one year since lockdown, we are now observing the dramatic shift in consumer behavior that started in 2020. We are time shifting like never before, and we can entertain ourselves in a myriad of ways online, and offline. Anyone still baking, painting, writing that novel, or drafting that new business plan, or simply watching Spring — well, spring up? Okay, arrive.
The Japanese understand the power of observation in a unique way. Ancient calendars marked 72 micro-seasons, not the 4 seasons we have come to know. They know nature is impermanent— it is always changing. We are impermanent too, if we just pay close enough attention to the small changes.
There’s an important lesson here for entrepreneurs — everyone, really. When we acknowledge that we are always changing, we can break old habits, let go of what’s not working, and reevaluate our working relationships. Sometimes those around us, are likely changing in big, imperceptible ways too.
After all we have been through this year, maybe this is the time to notice. Take stock of your changes, your team’s talents and reevaluate where you draw energy and spend it. It seems like a lot more people are choosing to spend time differently.
And if you’ve lost your audience, it’s a good time to figure out why and how to bring them back. Just ask yourself: what would Oprah do?
Most of us can’t afford to wait too long. But maybe we can wait until … hibernating insects surface (啓蟄 Keichitsu). 🐞
Onward, my People.
Thank you for these observations. So thoughtful and helpful. As a business owner, I often see and feel firsthand the challenges of letting go of things (systems, projects, people, and so on) that don't work. Sometimes it feels like a teeter tauter (sp?)...slow to move initially until finally the momentum is unavoidable.