If this is an Apocalypse... What has it revealed for you?

Of course we all hope the spread of Corona virus will be halted soon. When it does (and it will) it will have taken tens of thousands of lives and destroyed livelihoods. Life will go on, but it won't be the same.

But in the midst of this bad news, I’m reminded that the original word in Greek (ἀποκάλυψις) does not mean the end of the world, it actually means "an unveiling or to reveal". 

So, If this is an Apocalypse…… what has it revealed for you?

Lock down has changed perspectives forever - imposing a raft of restrictions and changes to our lives. But it also gave us a peek into the lives and souls of our global population …

We’ve witnessed human selfishness and self-lessness, questioned the pointless stockpiling, felt humbled by our wonderful health workers, marvelled at acts of heroism and altruism, and been appalled at the cynical behaviour of individuals and organisations. 

Personally, I've rejoiced in the expansion of community spirit, and a heightened sense of connectedness. My ‘normal’ changed as a result of battening down the hatches with our (mostly adult) children. It’s been great and chaotic in equal measures. Changing our routines, coping with disappointments as our plans got cancelled and having to learn to share our space, have all brought new experiences. I can honestly say I’ve learned more about my children in 2 months of lock down, than I have in the past 2 years.  

Now, with lock down easing around the world, I’m reminded of a quote by Rahm Emanuel - Chief of staff to Barack Obama

“You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”

I’m an action oriented optimist, but I would caution us against running straight back to ‘normal life’.There are things we’ve learnt about ourselves, and so many external factors have already changed forever, so what would ‘normal’ look like anyway?

It might help if we think about the process we’ve all just been through ...

CHANGE HIT - we were all TOLD - stay at home.  

As edicts go, they were quite simple and straightforward. You have to stay at home, keep a 2 metre distance from others at the supermarket and wash your hands for 20 seconds as soon as you get home. You are allowed out once a day for exercise. These were not requests, we might have complained but we knew what we needed to do.

But the days turned into weeks and ...

CHANGE EMERGED - we adapted to our ‘new normal’. As the crisis deepened we had to find ways to adapt and survive. As the weeks passed, we’ve learnt new skills and adapted to new demands and situations.

Now it looks like we could at least start to go back to normal - but what 'normal' will you choose? 

CHANGE EXPLORED - hit the pause button for a moment.

Take this unique opportunity to EXPLORE what you've learnt before you continue the journey.  You've already had to innovate and adapt to unprecedented challenges - so what have you learnt about yourself? How have you responded to the call? 

Try asking yourself 2 important questions:

1. What changes that were forced on me through lock down have been beneficial?
2. What do I genuinely miss and want back in my life?

I’ve been exploring this with some of my coaching clients, here’s some of what they’ve shared:-

The Good Stuff

• No commute means I have 2 extra hours everyday 
• I finally understand how to help my children with their homework
• Traffic and people-free jogging in Manhattan at 5am
• I’ve finally got to grips with my finances and it's been revealing! 
• I’ve dropped 14lb as a result of exercising one's right to exercise
• I love working from home - who would guess?

I Really Miss

• No commute means no ‘me’ time - this was my only time alone!
• Seeing and socialising with my friends, they’re a huge part of my life
• My cleaner - she’s going to get a big welcome back
• Time away from the house with my partner and no one else
• My elderly parents, previously taken for granted, I’ve really missed them
• Reliable broadband 

What would be on your lists?

Once you have your lists done you can think through:

For the Good Stuff - what do I want to preserve and AMPLIFY?

For what you've missed - what will I ADD BACK first?

You can design your new normal - will you take the time? 

Or are you rushing back to old normal?

I specialise in helping professionals choose change so they can create careers, lives and businesses they love. Interested in coaching with me? Direct message me and let's see if we're a good fit!

www.elisefinn.com