Where To Focus During A Pandemic
I'm seeing a lot of emails and webinars on how to stay productive, how to focus, and how to set up your desktop space to maximize productivity during the COVID pandemic. I'm not sure that they all address an underlying root issue, though: where to focus during a pandemic.
I'm not saying they're bad, I actually wrote one or two or those kinds of posts, myself.
But there's an important focus that is being ignored during this crazy time.
We're all stuck in our homes.
Some of us were laid off.
Some of us are scared to go to the grocery store.
Some of us are the ones picking up groceries for others.
Some of us are unaffected and bored (for now).
Some of us are on the front lines and watching their friends get sick.
How do I focus on what's important during a pandemic?
Yes, we should be productive.
Yes, we should be helpful.
Yes, we should do our part.
But even more important, during a time like this, is relationships.
With a little extra time on our hands, checking in with the people we love in our lives is even more important.
Isolation exacerbates fears and anxieties. It also can make you just plain crazy.
I don't know about you, but when I have extra time to think and work, it can make me overthink and overwork.
Anxiety, fear, and overthinking can make you lash out and be defensive. It can make you fight with the people who are on your own team.
Instead of indulging in excess Instagram, excess work, excess frozen pizza, or excess whatever you indulge in . . .
Try connecting with your family and friends to check-in.
When all of this is over, you will remember the fight and those who helped you through it.
Feeling motivated by a community is much more helpful than setting up your desk with just the right wood and just the right monitor and just the right headphones.
When the dust settles, the people around you will remember how you handled this stress and pressure--not that you used the pomodoro technique or even how much work you actually accomplished .
So, when we think about how this applies to our day-to-day, consider how it feels to have interacted with you.
This is a leadership opportunity.
The more we empathize and connect with each other, the more likely we are to trust one another.
The more we trust one another, the more we'll be able to rebuild our communities and world.
2 Minute Action:
Text a friend.
Leave a thank you note for your partner in the kitchen.
I guarantee that it can only take 2 minutes or less to make a difference to someone.
Say thank you.
And mean it.
What To Do With Giant Goals
What do you do when your dreams are so incapacitatingly huge?What do you do when you have a BHAG (Big Hairy, Audacious, Goal)?This one, I learned from LEGO as a kid.The picture on the box can be so incredible, but so intimidating.The trick is taking it one step at a time.Simple, but not easy.It turns out that big, hairy, complicated things are actually made up of lots of small, achievable, actionable things.By breaking the big goal down small enough, you enable yourself to see a starting point, mico-missions, and tasks that are manageable.So what to do when you're feeling stuck?Make it smaller.Practice the habit of asking "can it be smaller?" and you will start developing the confidence you need for even bigger, hairier goals.
2 Minute Action
What's something you've been meaning to do but haven't gotten to?What's something you'd like to have finished in the next 10 years?Why can't you start?How would you start if you knew you could never get around that obstacle?What's a step you can take right now? (send an email, make a phone call)Can it be smaller?Breaking big things down into smaller things will help you score a lot of small wins.Small wins will develop the trust in yourself to take on bigger challenges.Don't think you're going to bench press 500lbs on your first day.Get practical.
What To Focus On When You're Stuck
You know the feeling.It's hard to come up with ideas. You're waiting for something to happen. You stick to something you've done in the past even though it's not working now.I don't need to dive into it.One good way to get unstuck is to consider the work you're afraid of.Making the phone call? Putting the money down? Putting yourself out there?What's something you're avoiding?You guessed it.Start with that.Focus on where the fear is.It's your compass.Addressing small fears and avoidances is a powerful way to start trusting your own ability to handle challenges.Face these small fears every day and you'll start training the muscle required to tackle the big stuff.Don't try to bench press 500 lbs. on your first day.
2 Minute Action
Most of the time, it takes 2 minutes or less to take action.Here are three examples:
- Look up the phone number of someone you're trying to reach and just freaking call them.
- Stop by the office yourself instead of sending another email.
- Provide your honest opinion (without hedging or backing down before you finish stating it).