2020: The Year of Surrender?

Maybe I have odd friends, but I’ve noticed an interesting trend in my social media feed as of late:  A lot of entrepreneurs I know—energetic, workaholic go-getters to a person—have turned away from their lives of nonstop hustle. Instead, they are now embracing a word I never thought I’d hear from them:  Surrender.

WHAT?

In none of these cases was the entrepreneur’s business going under (at least to my knowledge).  Rather, they found that they’d hit a spiritual brick wall. All those late nights and weekends of hustling were no longer challenging and energizing. Instead, they were soul-sucking.  My friends wanted to pour their hearts and souls into their work like before, but now found themselves pouring from an empty jug.

They had nothing left to give. Even worse, now that they’d slowed down, they could see everything they’d been missing—quality time with friends and family and the freedom that comes from allowing oneself to be vulnerable.

Taken individually, none of these cases are unusual—burnout is common among driven people. But I found it curious that so many are experiencing this right now. And I found it even more curious that they all described themselves in a state of “surrender.”

This raised two big questions for me: Why now? And what are they surrendering to?

Surrendering:  A 2020 Trend?

I can only make educated guesses at the answer to the first question:  Perhaps the meanness and messiness of much of our current social and political climate is coaxing people into retreat mode:  When one’s external world is filled with chaos and conflict, it can be more comfortable to withdraw into one’s inner world.

Or perhaps the trend of conspicuous overworking as a lifestyle has simply peaked, having proven physically and mentally unsustainable for most ordinary mortals. Or perhaps it’s a combination of both—navigating life in an unstable, often mean-spirited world is tough enough without the burden of a self-imposed 80-hour workweek on top of it all.

Surrender? To What?

The answer to the second question was tougher for me to guess at. I must admit I’m not entirely comfortable with the word “surrender.” To me, it evokes images of white flags and battlefield defeat.  My first reflex on seeing “surrender” posts from people I know was annoyance:  Turning your back on your passion projects and surrendering to the universe (whatever that means) struck me as a form of nihilism—it’s too hard/painful to try to change the world, so instead I’m going to close my eyes and do nothing!  (Good thing Martin Luther King and Gandhi never got into this trend.)

Since I gave up hope, I feel much better.

Looking more closely, however, I discovered the surrenderers meant something different: They weren’t turning away from their passions, or from the hard work of pursuing them. Rather, they were turning away from externally validated markers of success—titles, status, business growth for the sake of growth.

In short, they were surrendering to what their inner voices had been telling them all along: Real meaning and real satisfaction in life lie elsewhere—in bonds with family and friends or in the pursuit of causes and values important to them. There could well be things worth 80 hours a week of their time—but the admiration of strangers isn’t one of them.

2020: A Year for Sense Making and Storytelling

Of course, this doesn’t mean that absolutely everyone is undergoing a midlife/quarter-life crisis and moving to an ashram this year.  But I’ll go out on an (admittedly thin) limb and predict that 2020 will be a year of reflection and reassessment for many. Those who’ve kept journals may look back and realize they’ve come much farther on their personal journeys than they thought. Others may realize that the lessons they’ve learned in their transformations can be helpful to others in similar situations. And still others may be looking for change in their lives but don’t know where to start.

As regular journal-keepers know, writing down your thoughts—especially by hand—is a great way to process and make sense of them. In addition, putting your thoughts in written form makes them more real and impactful—written goals become contracts you make with yourself. Even more importantly, the written word gives you an effective way to share your ideas in a form others can keep and refer back to again and again.

Is This Your Year To Publish a Book or Article?

If you’ve experienced a season of change and your bucket list includes writing a book or sharing important insights in a blog post or magazine article, 2020 is the year to make it happen. There is a hunger for meaning and authenticity, and stories and lessons from real people like you can help fulfill it.

Sharing your story with the world can seem intimidating—but it can also be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences you can have. Are you ready to make the leap?

Have a great story you want to write but don’t know where to start? Contact me for a no-obligation chat—I’m happy to answer your questions.