Time Out for a Pandemic
April 16, 2020Well, I certainly didn’t expect a pandemic to happen in 2020. Did you? To say that many of us were caught unaware would be an understatement. The real questions are: how are you doing? How am I doing? How are we adapting our lives to this new reality?
Plans + Action
It seems we’ve all had to pause whatever we were doing in order to take stock of the situation. What can we do now? What will we do next? Taking some time to analyze, make plans (A, B, C or A through Z), and then shift. Adapt. Take a baby step forward.
For many of us, this is unnatural. It’s not the way we behave or think. As everything around us changes, we also need to make changes in the way we problem solve, handle our work, and basically, approach our entire lives.
For those of us who are working from home for the first time, we’ve had to adjust our spaces and schedules. For those of us who have always had home offices, but have ventured into the world for meetings and conferences, to meet clients and socialize, we’ve had to find new ways to connect.
In some ways this has opened up some unexpected paths for me. I have been participating in more online webinars and meetings through Zoom, Facebook live, BigMarker (Lunch with Lisa daily), and Vimeo Live. I’ve actually forged new relationships, as well as nurturing ongoing relationships. Yes, with clients, but also with friends, near and far, and family members.
The “great pause” – as I have heard it referred to in the media – has provided me with an opportunity to learn more, create more, and push myself in ways I haven’t really tried before. I am also learning more about myself as a business person, a mother (my two adult daughters have moved home with me), a family member, a friend, and a neighbor.
Choices
Every day we are confronted with scary news about the pandemic and choices we have to make. My heart breaks for families who have lost loved ones. I am cheered by positive stories of people who rise above and beyond the call of duty. Every day I remind myself that I am very fortunate: safe, healthy, and moving forward, even if it’s in tiny ways. Gratitude is my attitude. And, sure, I’ve had mornings where I just do not want to get out of bed, wishing the world would magically revert to December 2019. Before.
Before grocery shelves looked like this:
Before we were afraid to let anyone into our homes that we do not know. Or open a package without wiping it down first. Or going out in public without a mask. Before we learned all the ways this pandemic would affect us. However, as a breast cancer survivor, I also know that behind every storm, the sun is waiting to come back out. And, if we’re lucky, we get to see a rainbow.
We are all changing because of the novel coronavirus and its impact on our lives. But we have a choice: we can let it swamp us and ruin our lives and businesses, or, we can use this moment to transform our lives and businesses into something different. Maybe better. Maybe not. But we have to try. Show up. Take a chance. And, keep looking for the wins.