These past two years have been dominated by a pandemic. For most of us, this has been the most disruptive and challenging thing we have faced in our lives. Restrictions designed to control infections have also changed so many things that we had taken for granted: going into an office to work, eating at a restaurant, celebrating with friends and family, and even travel.
Now that things are improving and, in a way, “going back to normal” I wonder about what that really means. We always want to be moving forward, right? Improving, progressing, getting better. So why would we want to “go back” to something that was normal two years ago?
As I start to return to some of our pre-pandemic activities, I’m becoming aware that I don’t need to go back to everything I used to do. I’ve realized that there are things I don’t really miss. Going back to these things would simply be a waste of time and energy. And there are things that, while I miss, I realize I can do with less of. On the other hand, there are some things that I know I need back in my life, gaining a new appreciation for how they feed my soul. And then there were things that I discovered during the pandemic that I now value and enjoy and refuse to let go of.
I invite you to think of the last two years as a big reset – a time when distractions and routine were taken away allowing us the space and clarity to really take stock and understand what we value. What have you learned about yourself during this time? And with that wisdom, how would you design your new normal?
