What I’ve learned from Covid-19
While the world is troubled over the spread of this novel virus and we’re all dealing with the uncertainty of life, my turmoil has suddenly turned into optimism. There are good things coming out of ‘stay home’ too.
What could they possible be?
The family jive. I love being home with the family and spending time together rather than on a bus or train commuting home. For the first time I am seeing what my husband does for a living and his work persona. I spend 12 hours a day with my son and I’m getting to know him before the teacher tells me about him. We’re more understanding, we’re sharing responsibilities and accommodating each other’s schedules seamlessly. We’re sneaking breaks to hang out with each other even if it’s for a few minutes. Yes, we’re hassled, we’re tired, we have parent burn-out but we go on because we have to. Now I dread to think of the time that we will have to return to offices and do things separately.
The survival of the strongest. Just like the virus fails to bring down the healthy, we can beat this if we stay strong. I have tough days when I sulk, feel dreadful and give up. But, where do I want to be at the end of this? I want to come out winning and end strong. I want to believe that there will be something better waiting for me at the end of the tunnel. If we can weather this storm, really put in our all to get through it, we’ll be at the top of our game when we do. Ready to hit the ground running.
Agility will thrive. I’m amazed how quickly brands are responding to the changing context. Overnight they are re-engineering their processes, teams, business models and working environments to accommodate a new way of living and working. To such an extent that even post-Covid, they may retain these new ways and bring about unbelievable change. People are adopting these new ways in a flash too. There’s no learning curve. It’s either take it or be left behind. Yes, my 90-year-old grandma was on the family Skype party and my 3-year old son has playdates on Zoom.
The gift of time. I spent the last 10 years of my corporate life thinking that I didn’t have enough time to pursue my passions, meet family, learn a new language, sketch or read because of long hours, extensive travel or a packed social calendar. Now I have that gift of time and what am I doing with it? Binge watching TV shows. Instead, I believe that now is the time to do what I’ve dreamed of doing IF I had the time. There are so many services that are propping up for free or with mega discounts. I can learn something new, build my skills, get that killer body, experiment, reflect and plan. There are no excuses now.
I understand that some have it tougher than others. That all this is good to say but hard to do. It’s really up to you (brand or person). What outcome do you really really want post-Covid and how hard are you willing to work to get it? I’m rooting for the podium finish.