Pandemic waste: COVID made me waste the last 2 years of my life
5min read
Has it? Maybe… or have you been working on the wrong things?
The last 2 years have been life changing, overwhelming and heartbreaking for many. It has seen loss of life, separation of loved ones, job loss and everything in between. However, for every story of “I simply could not” there has been one of “I have”.
Many people have made monumental shifts because they took the time to examine what was happening, what mattered most and then adjusted where necessary to chase what they craved.
For those of you who don’t know me that well, I have 2 kids (3.5 years old and 7 months old) so I understand the challenges of juggling work, life, home and self. I also often feel like there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours or energy in the day.
We all lived through these times differently but now that it feels like the world is opening back up, you might be feeling like the last 2 years have been a monumental waste of time.
Do you wish that you had used this time better now that we are getting back to normal life?
Looking back, you may have said to yourself “it just doesn’t feel like the right time”... because it always felt like there were bigger events happening to you which resulted in you not doing what you know you should have done?
In essence, you fell into one of the biggest traps of all… trying to control something that you simply have no control over… in this case a global pandemic.
Is this something that you do… finding yourself waiting until perfect conditions exist before starting something?
How often do you try to control things that are out of your control? Leaving you feeling guess what... OUT OF CONTROL.
Now, that's BS!
B is for Behaviours
When the world changed, did you hear yourself say things like:
“When the lockdown lifts next week, I’ve got to prioritise my mental health”
“I really can’t dedicate that time to me as the kids are always at home”
“I just can’t continue my health routine because the gyms are shut”
“My life is not what I want it to be, but I can’t do anything about it right now. I’ll wait once restrictions ease to make those changes”
“Considering the job market, it’s just not the right time to do something about my job even though I hate it”
“When we get back to normal, I will do something about it”
Looking back, was it just easier to say this massive thing called COVID was taking away your opportunities? But truth be told maybe you didn’t put enough effort, courage and conviction into finding solutions.
There I said it.
Were those last 2 years filled with making excuses instead of making the changes you now wish you had made?
It’s a little confronting, isn’t it?
I suppose it leaves us with the following question: When this passes, will you find another reason to not do what you really need to?
C'mon, that's real BS!
S is for Strategies
We each have 1440 minutes in the day. It is where we place our focus and what we choose to do during those minutes that can make a fundamental difference.
If right now, you're saying “I wish I had done more over the last 2 years because it feels like a waste”, the first place to start is:
Acknowledge it and accept the situation. It is what it is. You cannot control or change the past.
Then figure out what you need to do about it (grab a journal).
Now focus and don’t get overwhelmed with everything you could have done differently (lack of focus is probably what got you here in the 1st place).
STEP 1: Of these areas below where would you want to make the change:
Relationships with family and friends
Career / Finance
Self - both mental and physical
STEP 2: Be clear as to what success looks like. Get really detailed, including a date to achieve it.
STEP 3: Find habits you can do TODAY to start making this shift.
STEP 4: Think about any outside support you may need.
STEP 5: Put reminders in your phone about the new habits and general behaviour, keep them top of mind.
That will get you started but lastly…
STEP 6: Connect with why this matters so much to you. How good life will be when you finally make these changes.
In the end, I can’t stress enough, don't focus on outside forces and allow them to impact what you are trying to achieve. Look at each day and take the time to understand where you can place your focus related to things that you can truly control and impact.
Someone else said about this
"The biggest risk to productivity is always the same: working on the wrong thing."
James Clear
Love it, discuss it, share it #thatsbs
