Spend your social distancing time wisely … create new options for your life.

As I write this on March 19, 2020, we are in the middle of something most of us have never seen. Quarantine requirements, a health scare on a global level, cities turned into ghost towns and our social circles tethered together by social media.

There might well be riots if the internet goes down (not really…I hope).

We are all sitting around our houses and apartments wondering when this craziness will end and when life will return to normal. That, and do I have enough toilet paper? The bigger question, that so far is unanswered, is what will the new normal look like?

As this all hit, I was already in the middle of a career metamorphosis, moving from a 32-year pattern of on-site consulting to a hybrid of onsite and online coaching services. My wife was also three weeks away from opening a brand-new home décor store.

So, as we both find ourselves with some unexpected time on our hands, we are thinking through what SHOULD the new normal be? For us. This a great time to reflect, take stock and perhaps craft a new and more vibrantly rewarding normal for yourself.

I am choosing to use the time wisely. Last night we played board games as a family, enjoyed some homemade mac and cheese and reflected on the fact that we have a roof over our heads, food in the pantry and that, while a pain in the ass, the forced time off did slow us down. These are blessings and I urge you to look around and take stock of yours. It’s something that we rarely, if ever do in this 100-mph world we have built for ourselves.

Now is the best time to examine what’s important to you and to think about changes that you have been promising yourself that you’d make. Use the time to craft what I’m calling your Spring Forward Action Plan. It’s actually kind of ironic that today is the first day of Spring, the season of growth, rebirth and renewal.

Here are some questions to get you started:

What do I want my life to look like moving forward?

Write down your vision in the eight wheel of life areas:

1. Friends and family

2. Relationships/significant other

3. Personal growth

4. Fun & leisure

5. Home environment

6. Career

7. Finances

8. Health

Score each area on a scale of 0–10 (low to high)

Regardless of the score you give each area, which area is the most important to YOU?

WHY is that are the most important?

What actions can I take right now?

New job applications, creating a list of relationship must haves and non-negotiables, searching for a new place to live … take some action every day.

These are all positive planning steps that you can take during your quarantine time. By using the time wisely, you will be ready to take additional action steps as soon as the COVID-19 interruptions are lifted.

I’d like to help. I’m offering free, no-obligation PEP Talk Sessions if you want to discuss your scoring, actions and alternatives, get an objective perspective on what you’re thinking about or if you simply want to connect with another human and talk about stuff.

Book a PEP talk session here: https://go.oncehub.com/PEPTalkSession

I look forward to connecting with you.

#TakeTheStrongRoad