The world has been turned upside down several times with the pandemic. Life remains very much in flux. From day to day, you never know if you should be shaking hands or elbow pumping, standing three or six feet away, quarantining 5 or 10 days, or wearing a cloth or N95 mask. You also never know when you or your child might be quarantined or if you will be force to stay home from work or school.
Has all of this left you feeling battle fatigued and wondering if this will ever end?
Does Your Target Keep Changing?
I talked in our last blog about feeling a little lost. Normally, I am a person filled with vision, direction, and goals, but right now it is tough. It is not that I don’t have vision, but it is hard to have certainty about where you are going when things are changing daily. We have all been in flux for almost two years. Life has always been trying to hit a moving target but currently even finding a target can be challenging. If you feel this way, you are not alone!
What Uncertainty Teaches
I don't want to focus on only the negatives. There have been positives with the pandemic too. The pandemic has made us all more aware and changed our perspectives. For me, the days of sitting in a comfort zone are gone. I used to be shy about asking for things and now I never stop asking. Currently, I seldom take things for granted and instead of having just a plan “B” I have plans “A through Z.” There is no question that the uncertainty brought on by the pandemic has forced many of us to become more adaptable, flexible, and innovative both at work and at home!
How to Deal With Uncertainty
I run a nonprofit and one of the ways I am dealing with the uncertainty is to cut annual goals into monthly and weekly goals. As a result, I am more prepared to change the game plan quickly while still keeping the momentum moving forward.
I also begin every week by taking a full look at the week ahead. I try as much as possible to prepare and plan for whatever uncertainty may happen. I might be short on staff or forced to go virtual. Am I prepared ahead of time with recovery plans? Supply chains have also been disrupted and delivery of program materials is taking much more time. Have I planned for materials ahead, and do I have multiple suppliers and alternatives. Planning and staying a little ahead has helped reduce stress!
I also have set aside time each day personally to get my perspective and refocus. Almost daily, I am reflecting on my goals and adjusting as needed. I have also put additional time in my schedule to rejuvenate because of constant pressures of the pandemic.
All of us deal with uncertainty and the pandemic differently. Share below what you have done to deal with the uncertainty and battle fatigue you have experienced, not only in reaching your goals and objectives for 2022, but in maintaining your sanity!
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