Okay, it’s obviously not so great for the UK businesses that have to shut down for next four weeks and possibly the foreseeable future. The world has struggled with uncertainty and the catastrophic effects over the past 7 months.
However, I may be of the minority that has actually welcomed the lockdown. Granted that I generally prefer my own company and thrive working alone, business had taken a new direction and it’s been better than before.
At a recent workshop that I delivered, I showed everyone a diagram that I often tell me clients to understand before making any big decision and changes.
In any given situation, there are things we can and cannot control. More so now than ever as we are going to be thrust into another lockdown, whether you love or hate it.
I love it because it opens up a bucket load of opportunities to do exactly these things: –
Turn negatives into positives
If you can work from home, great! No need to commute which saves the average commuter around 2 hours each day. Remember how you last complained that you never have time to get on with that personal project that you’ve been procrastinating on? Now has never been a better time to devote time to learn a new skill, catch-up (online) with lost friends/relatives, reinvent yourself and generally become a better you.
Time to reflect
It’s a second lockdown, so the world isn’t going back to “normal” any time soon. Just accept it (we can’t control everything, remember?) and actually take some time to reflect on where your life is right now. Whether you’ve lost your job, still working or not sure what to do, take control by having a long hard think about what you can do. Every situation presents an opportunity; we just haven’t seen it yet. Did I mention learning a new skill?
Deal with conflict head-on
If you’re holed up with family, friends or other people you can comfortably handle, then there’s going to be conflict. Lockdown has shown the worse of us…. and the best! It’s not pleasant (who said life was easy?) but a lockdown is a great chance to deal with issues that were brushed under the carpet or that were going to be inevitable. It’s time to learn to set boundaries by having that calm and honest chat with those involved. By airing it out with those around you, and reaching out to estranged friends/family (if it’s
healthy to), you will make things much more comfortable for yourself and will be stronger because of it.
Get from Zero to One
As humans, we’re extremely resourceful… if we choose to be. The gyms are going to close, but that doesn’t mean you stop exercising. Using
your own body weight is a free and readily available piece of gym “equipment”. Now that you have extra hours spare, what you choose to do with it will define
how resourceful and productive you want to be.
Ten push-ups straight up might be tough for most, but surely you can do one? Doing ‘one’ of something is better than ‘zero’ or nothing. This could be learning to draw (10-minutes a day), a new business/venture (1-hour a day brainstorming), decluttering the house or garden and anything you want to achieve.
The key is to start off steady and ramp up gradually; 10-minutes to 20-minutes a day. Imagine how much you’d do in the next four weeks from nothing. Months… a year?
Once you get into a rhythm and scale up, the rewards will be exponential. Start off too hard, and you’ll just want to give up. Consistency and repetition will reap you just rewards.
I love the lockdown, I really do, but I know it’s not for everyone. If you are struggling with some of the ideas or how to navigate the herd of chaos and uncertainty, you are more than welcome to get in touch.
No more excuses. It’s time to get unstuck and achieve the success you deserve!