Everyone is saying it and I’m sure you’ve heard it a thousand times already: the small actions which currently matter the most are to wash your hands, keep your hands away from your face and physically distance yourself. Yes, physical distancing is the name of the game and it’s working. Just look at Italy’s and Spain’s figures. The Wuhan province of China is even opening up again – albeit under some constraints.
Personally, I can’t wait to be allowed out for my daily morning run. I’ve been in my small apartment for over a month now and yes, I’m as stir-crazy as everyone else. What’s worse, I feel as if I’ve run out of things to do which don’t bother my downstairs neighbors. My neighbors are lovely and I want to stay on good terms so I won’t be jumping rope, or jump for any reason whatsoever.
Having said all of that (and stopping the whining for a moment), I’m one of the lucky people who have a job which allows me to continue working from home. I say lucky because not only does it provide me with income but it also gives me something to do. Having something to focus on and to complete every day really helps me to get through the very long lockdown days. Time flies when focusing on doing the job at hand and especially when I focus on doing the best job I possibly can.
What’s important to me about doing the best job I can is the fact that not only does it benefit the people around me (first and foremost my boss) but it also benefits me. Yes, by helping others around me, I get to know them better and build stronger relationships with them. I also learn more about how my organisation operates which can only be a good thing in the long run. Most importantly, I’m increasing my skillset by doing more than my day to day job and getting feedback and input on how to approach new tasks. I learn as I go along, show up well and get a reputation for being a good team member, a good project manager and a good leader. When was the last time an opportunity like this was handed to you?
Let me be clear: I am not calling the pandemic a good thing and I am looking forward to a more normal life again. Given the situation though, I am making the best of it and try to use the time wisely. I know that if your situation is different e.g. you have to look after your kids at the same time as appearing professional in a video conference call, then it will take a strain on you. If you have lost your job and your income, it will stress you out.
What I am saying though is that by focusing on what you can control in that situation, it will be easier to deal with it and it may provide you with opportunities in the long run.
That’s why I encourage you to go and do the best job you can and offer others your help if you have a job and as a result, learn something new. If you are out of a job right now, take it as an opportunity to learn something new and upskill yourself. Normality will come around soon enough and any time investment now will pay, no matter how small off in the future.
If you don’t fancy a standard 9 to 5 job or want to change career or always fancied knowing more about some exciting niche topic but you haven’t found out what it is, well, then find out what you actually want to do with the rest of your life and take action. This may lead you to take a course that gets you started on this journey. Or you could contact an expert in the field to get an insight into this field. Or you could read Wikipedia or a book on the topic. Or you can do this at work, through your hobby, through volunteering or via the many (often free) learning platforms that are out there. Whatever takes your fancy, do the best you can to get you a step closer to your goal.
All of this may sound like a lot of hard work, yes, it is but it is also a lot of fun.
Remember: Focusing on doing the best job you can ultimately makes you a better person. It also makes you happier because you get to know more people, it increases your self confidence because you know you are good at what you do and it gets you talking to more people which helps in dealing with physical distancing. It also makes you more valuable on the job market, better skilled at dealing with a wider variety of situations and more resilient.
Most importantly: it makes time pass faster and in a more interesting way and more enjoyably…. And it keeps your hand out of your face!
So, go, wash your hands and do the best you can on every task!