“We are certainly living through unprecedented times. Although we are experiencing disruption on every level, we do not have to detach from the belief that the world will ‘reset’ and we will work our way back to a new normal. This is an opportunity to hone in on resources for recovery and find ways to reinvent ourselves.” (Dr. Zina Suissa in Leaders inspiring hope while navigating through crisis)
Imagine yourself living life to the fullest. What would you be doing? What does your world look like?
What is the gap between that world and your world today? No one really knows what the “other side of COVID” looks like or when that will happen. The fact is we are all living in incredibly uncertain times. Uncertainty can fuel anxiety especially when economic realities are so profound.
It is understandable if you are feeling disappointed and anxious, and if you are grieving now. Anxiety and worry are elements of our fight or flight system. Remind yourself that you can decide your own fate. You can “accept the things you cannot change and change the things you can,” as the Serenity Prayer says. Our recommendation is that you set boundaries around the anxiety and fear. Don’t let it consume you. Consciously, put a stop to it today and realize you can deal with it again tomorrow if you so choose.
Now that you have consciously parked the anxiety until you can deal with it another day, you are free to take the next step: plan your anchors to your resilience. Take actions that can help shift anxiety to action. If you are concerned that you are seriously depressed or overly anxious, get help!
To ensure you bridge the gap between the world you imagine and the world you have today, we recommend some foundational steps to help change your life for the better.
To start, if you haven’t thought about what your purpose is or haven’t reviewed it in a while, now is a good time to get engaged and organized, and to (re)commit to your values and purpose. If you are already clear about yours, great. Write them down somewhere you will see them. Share them with others. Why do this now? To cut through some of the anxiety and uncertainty, it can be helpful to remind yourself what is important to you (your values). Maybe they are different from what once were; maybe they are really core and unchanging. This exercise provides a re-assessment and overarching direction (purpose) to your actions now. The goal here is to help you thrive by getting centered and grounded amidst the chaos.
Values: What is important to you? What values, tenets, principles, beliefs are really, really essential in how you live your life? What is core to who you are?
Personal Purpose: This can be just a sentence or two. It flows from your values. What do you want to do in your life and why? A personal purpose will help you achieve clarity about your goals and direction. An example of one: To make every life I touch better.
Actions: With values and purpose in hand now, certain actions to support them – things you should or should not do will become apparent.
Assessment: How will you know if you are operating within the guidelines you have set for yourself? What difference has this approach made in your life? Review how you are doing periodically. “Periodically” can be anything from daily to quarterly.
Think this through. Write it down and you will find yourself motivated, engaged, energized, healthier, and more productive.
How are you planning for your new normal? What are you doing to build your resilience?
