The power of doing

It’s been over a month of lockdown and from the look of things, it is going to be at least one more. As with every change, there is a ramp-up period. Some of us get used to it faster, others take longer. Eventually, we all have to accustom ourselves to the new status quo and make the most of it.

For me, it wasn’t supposed to be a huge change as I am working from home and I should be familiar with the situation. There is indeed the tiny aspect of not leave the house … at all … which was not there before, as I was going out daily. There is the “child” factor as well. Before the pandemic, she was away most of the time I spent working, so I had the house essentially to myself. Now… it is what it is, so what should be done?

Reframe

First off, be nice and allow yourself a bit of time to process the change. It is not every day that you are bound to your home with limited possibilities to go outside without risking yours and others’ safety. So take a deep breath and take it all in. Like it or not, this is the status quo. Some of us can work from home, which in itself requires a bit of getting used to. Others cannot work remotely because of the nature of their jobs. So, it is like a vacation… 

For me, it was about figuring out how to tackle my child’s round-the-clock presence with my work and daily tasks. I first thought it would be easy: Give her some activities and go do your business! Well, easier said than done, obviously. She does get that I am working even if I am home but she did not process the fact that if she keeps popping up questions it counts as an interruption. Thus, my flow goes down the drain because of a quick “ Hey Mom, how do you spell concentration? “.

So I was quite annoyed and put off by this, trying to give her the attention she required and at the same time trying to concentrate on my stuff. It got me down for a while and I was even thinking about pausing projects until the world starts spinning again. Then I decided to take a page out of my own book and apply some of my well-known rules for remote work.

Adapt

I wake up earlier than she does and get some things done while she is sleeping. Then, when she wakes up we spend a bit of time together and I cater to her need of attention for a bit. Once she is settled and she has her activities laid out, I literally lock myself in my home office and I am not to be disturbed. Guess what? It seems to work perfectly fine as she hasn’t come knocking on my door very often. I do take periodic breaks to check on the family and to unwind myself, which I did even before, so no news here. The key is to be determined without wavering. The reframing period can bring enough hesitation and procrastination as it is uncharted territory. This is only normal.  But once you make your peace with the change and commit to thriving, there is no stopping you. 

Make the most of it

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Hopefully, we won’t get to experience another similar situation throughout our existence. There are two options:

Succumb and go crazy 

or 

Make the most of it

The choice is yours and yours alone. What will it be? 

I chose to make the most of it. It’s been 3 weeks now since I started really focusing on a project and the results are amazing. I’ve done significant progress and every milestone I reach gets me more energized and motivated to get to the finish line. Once more, I am amazed by the power of doing. Action and perseverance are the fuel of productivity. 

I am sure that you have things you’ve been planning on doing for a lot of time. It may be cleaning that balcony closet, learning a new language, starting a side project or just reading that book you never got to. There is no better time to start than now when everything is slowed down and we at least gained the commute time if not more. Once you start, you’ll see you’re halfway there cause doing beats the crap out of postponing. 

What will you start doing today?