COVID-19 – What this silent beast has done to us?

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the world by storm, a gripping monster that plagues us all in such a simple method of scare we can barely believe how easy it is to become infected.

Wash your hands, cover your mouth when you sneeze, you know the drill, you’ve seen the posters.

While the measures employed impacts us all, it is necessary, it is a requirement to protect citizens and serves to help build the momentum in the fight against this overwhelming and potentially fatal virus.

The fact that we cannot move as freely as we would normally do is a major issue for some if not all of us.

We no longer have the confidence to operate in a business as usual manner, because quite frankly we no longer know what that means. Businesses have been thrown into strategic overdrive and the worst part is as we look to the future we see no light at the end of the tunnel. This can make us anxious, worried, stressed and even depressed.

But all is not lost, humans possess a formidable will and intellect that has proved reliable time after time.

Henry Ford brilliantly sums up that mind-set in one clear and precise sentence, he states to survive such times:

Don’t find fault, find a remedy: Anybody can complain.

So how can we turn this frown upside down?

Well we can start by taking the crisis and making it a platform to learn and grow, whether it be learning a new skill or rekindling an old passion you are faced with a choice and a decision has to be made.

Whether you call it a quarantine or a lockdown, the outcome is the same, you would be placed in an abnormal social state that requires you to reach out now more than ever, but not “touch” if you know what I mean.

So how do I keep sane in this time?

Well firstly I believe it is important that you learn to be comfortable in your own company.

Now don’t get me wrong, reach out and seek time with your friends and family, Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp, Facebook whatever is your preference.

In absence of that luxury what do you do when you are alone?

Many of us have not thought about this so if you ever find yourself in that position or simply you want to keep busy in this time and still become a better model of yourself, here are some recommendations for you.

 To Learn or not to Learn – That is the question?

Now more than ever is the opportune time to take advantage of learning a new skill.

If you go to LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and so on, a lot of people are conducting free webinars and trainings.

Why are so many people doing this? ….Because humanity is awesome that’s why!

There is always a skill area that we could polish up a bit or decrease a gap to potential or even learn from the ground up, needless to say we can always become better.

What do you think about that?

Many of us may be working from home and this means that you have the benefit of not losing time with the commute to and from work (if applicable to you).

Let’s say for the sake of argument you spend 30 minutes in travel time to work and 30 minutes in travel time from work to home.

That’s 1 hour saved, surely you can invest that wisely, surely you can spend that time currency to purchase a skillset that will make you a highly acquired resource.

I know you can, because at this moment you are already thinking damn! Son of a b*tch got me cornered, well played son…well played!

But that is not the intention, the intention is to show you the benefits and opportunities this virus has made available to us and why we need to take full advantage of a gloomy situation.

Why learn a new skill you say?

Well believe it or not POST COVID-19 there will be a new way to operate in the world of work and a lot of the old ways of working will soon fade away.  

So now is the time to position yourself for the new movement or pick up a certification or build your competency in a skill you always wanted to acquire.

Some people are sitting on their *old versions* right now, thinking “I am enough” believe me, enough now would be depreciated severely when we come out of this.

Don’t be that person who gets caught out by overconfidence, be the person you are, someone who is proactive, constructive and forward focused.

We are in difficult times, I make no qualms about that, but we have the ability to rise out of the ashes and emerge with a renewed sense of purpose and value.

Just to give you options, listed below are some possible starters:

• Coding
• Public Speaking
• Branding/Brand management
• Microsoft Excel
• Learn a new Language
• Photography
• Social Media Marketing

Whatever area you believe you would like to pursue I strongly recommend you start looking into it because what is free now would most likely have to be paid for later on.

What other learning opportunities would you add?

What ever you choose make sure it aligns to your vision and your intent for the future.

I will be sharing my personal picks in another blog so stay tuned……..

If this was helpful to you and you want to dive into your own life then feel free to book a FREE consultation with me. I will leave all my contact information below.

Email: perpetualshiftcoaching@gmail.com

Phone: +1 868 761-5816

Click Here to book an appointment.