A Pandemic Awakening – Embrace a New Perspective on Your Career and Life

A Pandemic Awakening

Are you experiencing a pandemic awakening that is giving you a new perspective on your career and possibly life in general?

I know that the last year has given me a new perspective on what I want my life to look like in the future.

In reflecting on the last year, I discovered that there are three areas where I have embraced a new perspective:

• Relationships
• Health
• Career

Yes, I have had a pandemic awakening.

Relationships

The pandemic has forced many of us to reevaluate the relationships in our lives. It may be your marriage that may have grown stronger or you now plan to divorce. By the way, the number of people married and divorced during the pandemic dropped significantly. Being together so much has an upside and a downside.

Some of you grew closer to your family. I heard from many of you in the Career Pivot survey results that the pandemic was a good thing.

Some developed newfound appreciation for those who supported them in this pandemic. Check out what one Virginia neighborhood did for their local UPS delivery driver.

My wife and I developed a strong bond with a small group of hikers who we joined every week. Being outside in the mountains the surround our home in Ajijic Mexico was healthy for our bodies and our souls.  Doing it with a like-minded group of people was even better.

I wrote about the need for community in my post, Community – What Is The Value Of Belonging To One?

For me, I had a new perspective on the need for relationships which was a pandemic awakening.

Health

I had my first physical in years right before the beginning of the pandemic. At the time, I was 63 years of age and was in pretty good condition for someone of that age. However, my doctor worked with me on changing my diet, like eating more salmon and taking some supplements which primarily were iodine or yodo in Spanish. By the time the lockdown was over, I went back to have my blood work redone, and pretty much everything was normal.

Now I am working on my blood pressure and a few other readings. I am healthier now than I have been in years.

Many of you have taken up bicycling and other forms of outdoor exercise. I know this because just about every bicycle store in North America has virtually no bicycles in stock.

On the other hand, 61% of Americans have reported gaining weight during the pandemic. Being at home has increased snacking during the day and most of the time those things we eat are not the most healthy.

As we come out of the pandemic now is the time to re-establish healthy patterns. This includes:

• Exercise
• Eating
• Hydration
• Sleeping
• Bathroom patterns

As we emerge from our isolation a good pandemic awakening would be to establish healthy lifestyles.

Career

I have heard more than once in the last year, that people keep saying, “Life is too short to keep doing the same thing.”

I remember years ago when I worked for IBM, a young man I worked with was traveling way too much. It was putting a tremendous strain on his new marriage and his health. This showed up in some disastrous drinking behaviors which caused him to miss international flights. I told him to tell his boss that he could no longer keep up the travel. His response was that he had no choice.

You always have choices! If you do not think so, I want you to read the book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.

You can say ‘no’ and actually gain respect.

Now is the time to reevaluate what you are doing in your career. It is time to reevaluate your motivations to work.

Think about it, why are you working? It is probably to earn an income to put food on the table, put a roof over your head, and provide for others.

I certainly hope that you are having a pandemic awakening and ask yourself why you are doing what you’re doing?

Embrace a New Perspective on Your Career and Life

What are your career and life goals? Have you even bothered setting long-term goals?

If you did not lose your job during the pandemic, you are probably wealthier now than before the pandemic.

If you did lose your job, did you learn to live a simpler life?

Either way now is the time to embrace a new perspective on your career and life.

Over the next year, we will be selling our condo in Austin, and not own a home. I am reevaluating how and why I run Career Pivot. Notice it is not just the “how” but the bigger question is my “why.”

Are You Having a Pandemic Awakening?

My pandemic awakening is as I approach my 65th birthday I am reevaluating everything. I do not have to keep doing what I have been doing. I have choices.

What choices are you going to make as we emerge from the pandemic?

Marc Miller  

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