Don’t Squander the Quarantine
Never, well at least in our lifetime, have so many people had so much time at home. So much time to think and ponder their lives and their businesses. So do not squander this opportunity, think about your life, your career, and your business. Throughout our working lives, we are rushing, hurrying, and wishing we had more time to ourselves and our family. Well, that time is now, today, this very minute.
Reflection takes time and now you have it. Even for those of us that continue to work, we have time that would have reserved for driving to the office. Use it for yourself.
Why is this important?
Self-reflection helps build emotional self-awareness. Self-Awareness is important because it will help us become better, stronger in dealing with changing and tough situations by focusing on our core values. If ever there has been a time of tough and challenging change it is now, during the quarantine. It will also improve our relationships at home with our family and friends and at work with our teammates, colleagues, and vendors. All of this leads to improvements in family and work life, which is great for us and our business, through better decision making, clarity of thought, less stress, and better sleep.
How to Start: There are thousands of articles on the Internet that can provide detail and advice, but here are a few ideas to get us started.
First, make a list. Consider writing down a few areas of your life that you would like to change or modify. Then add on to that by writing down a few specific examples of why that change might be important. Such as, “Why did I react to a teammate so harshly?” or “How should I have reacted to my boss’ criticism of my performance? What might I have done differently?” Getting specific helps us focus on real-world situations that can be improved upon. Second, write down some different possible outcomes of the situation and see if that is more in line with how you felt about the situation. Lastly, you can dig a little deeper by asking the tougher questions, “Why do I respond or act the way I do in certain situations?” or “How do I wish I could react?” and “What don’t I like about (my work, my career, myself, etc.)?”
By knowing the answers to these and other questions, your clarity of thought and decision making can and will improve. Situations become less troubling to deal with. Relationships improve and you will find yourself more successful and happier.
Of course, there is a great deal more to this process than listed here, but it is a start. These exercises in change do not always feel good but change rarely comes easily. The key is to give it a try, and what better time than now? You may find that you will leave the quarantine a happier person with improved interpersonal skills. Take advantage of this time.