How’s lockdown been for you, then?
So, we’re four months in, and how’s everyone doing? We all know this year is going to go like this: January, February, then Christmas. Nothing happened in between the other months, did it?
It’s all been a bit of a blur to say the least. It wasn’t that long ago Corona only had one use, and that was to stick a lime in it. Now look at the things we’d love to do, to be in a pub under normal circumstances, without a booking system and a bit of music playing, drinking a Corona with a lime in it.
With having such a large amount of time off from both life and work, one does wonder what the hell you’re meant to do with yourself every day of every week now your normal routine and usual daily tasks have been temporarily restricted. But does anyone else feel guilty for not doing more with their time, or is it just me?
All I’ve done is run, moan, sleep, garden drink, garden eat and temporarily enter the world of TikTok via my wife’s request. But what I’ve struggled with the most, is motivation to do anything creative, be even half productive and generally make the most of the days learning about new things for work, life, and myself.
It sounds like a dream, having time off work to do what you want. But you quickly realise how much you (unknowingly) rely on that daily routine to keep yourself in check. The morning commute is usually the bane of your life, but I wouldn’t mind having somewhere to be, that would be nice, wouldn’t it? Not being in an office is something a lot of us have gotten used to, and when looking at moves to houses/flats, I’m sure built in offices are going to take precedence over garages, drives, and even nice sized kitchens.
Getting your head in the game, or more specifically getting my head in the game and having a focused, positive mindset, has been one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in the last few months. I know I’m not alone as there’s thousands, if not a few million people in the same position as me, and I’m not writing to have a pity party and self wallow that times have been hard, as we’ve all faced something unimaginable. What I am saying however, is for those people who have been off and are as hard on themselves as I am, don’t be. It’s only in the last few weeks that I’ve realised to give myself a break and chill out.
Everyone moves in their way, at their own pace, and we all get there eventually. I’ve seen loads of righteous and rather ridiculous quotes and comments that during all of this time, if people haven’t acquired a new skill, talent, read 17 books or learnt to fly, then they have in fact failed as a human being. Well my reply to that starts with F and O. Of course, people have seized the moment more than others, but hasn’t it been an achievement just to get through each day and keep smiling?
Am I a procrastinator? The world’s biggest. Do I promise a lot, talk the talk and underdeliver? Absolutely. I’ve promised myself and others that I’ll get my website sorted, get cracking on way more writing and generally be more productive and proactive as long as time keeps ticking. But the biggest thing I’ve found hard work is staying focused, and channelling all the ideas and avenues I want to materialise and make into actual things. Having a lot of ideas and brainstorms I want to do usually means I start 12 things at once, and don’t actually get anywhere with any of them. Whereas if I took it one step at a time, rather than my infamous running before I can walk characteristic I like to attempt, then honing in on one particular idea or vision for something is going to be more effective, and you never know, I might end up actually achieving what I want to!
Don’t compare your situation or position to anyone else’s. That’s a trait everyone is guilty of from time to time, as it’s so easy to do on a daily basis, especially through social media. People only present what they want you to see; just because someone’s posting happy things 12 times a week doesn’t necessarily mean they are actually happy. We all don’t know each other’s struggle, how up and down we are, and the worst thing you can do when you’re not doing much yourself is fall into the trap of vicariously living through others. I should know, I’ve been living DJ Khaled’s life for the last four months. We really is da best.
Having a more refined focus, forward planning, breaking things down into feasible tasks, and genuinely giving myself a break are just a few things I’m attempting to do, as before I know it, normal life will be resumed with all its pressures and deadlines, and there’ll be no room to move and no time to saviour. We’ll all get there, it’s just up to us as to when we do.
