Welcome — 2021 (Facing COVID-19 Disruptions)
Every new year brings with it a plethora of “How to Start New Year” recipes and a long list of “never fulfilled” new year resolutions. Some of the hottest ever recipes are like the following:-
- Travel to “MUST VISIT” places
- Land into a new hobby
- Meet to family elders
- Starting a workout
- Read Best Books
- Watch Best Movies
- Hunt a new job.
- Master a new skill
- Foster career
- Plan your physical fitness
But the year 2021is not a usual “happy go marry” new year. This year is a bit different with bitter memories of COVID-19, which still bites bitterly. Most of the new year resolutions and year start “recipes” are no more in fashion. Social distancing is the mantra of the day, barring many prone to socializing activities. The restrictions are the order of the day that hit on your plans. Your priorities and targets are not the same as those were in the past.
The ongoing ordeal spreading over a year has changed everything around. Life has an intensive shift, asking for adjusting to the new normal. Your future goals need to be aligned with the compulsions of the changed circumstances. There is however nothing to mourn. Life is still beautiful. There remains much to try to give a big push to the new year. The only thing you need is to have a positive mindset.
Live With Limitations
Focus on what you still have in hand. Forget about your losses. Something gone means that other things remain. Concentrate upon what is intact, what you can save, and what you can remake. For granted is never an eternal reality. Things keep on changing and so is your liberty, freedom, and authority to do the things your way. Chalk out a list of achievable goals. The goals you can easily accomplish through the challenges of 2021. This will give you a feel of having control over doable. This could include:
- Reading in bed a little before sleep.
- Fix your daily sleep time.
- Early morning walk or in home work out.
- Regular Zoom / Skype meetings with your loved ones.
- Strict work schedules.
- Watch Classic Movies on weekends.
- “I have no issues” is your new slogan of life.
- “My home needs me” is the heading of your activity planner.
Home Office
The Home Office is not a new concept but it is a rediscovered phenomenon of pandemic crisis. You are bound to work from home. Make an arrangement to fix things to run your home office. Learning more about the ways that your company and for that matter, your industry is adapting. Keep yourself abreast of techno-trends, innovations, news stories, and other relevant issues. The knowledge can only support you in a crisis. The informed expert decisions alone can empower your actions against odds.
Learn New Skills
You have now enough time for new activities. The time you were commuting to and from the office, the time you were spending outside with friends, is your time to use for learning new skills. YouTube and many other free tutorial websites are your new teachers and classrooms that do not charge a single penny. Think about skill and you have plenty of resources to fulfill your dreams. I have learned WordPress and SEO and launched the Mind Classic venture during the COVID-19 peak days. You can surely perform much better than a 60-year-old senior citizen like me.
Restrict Social Media
Social media is a great source of information but an even greater source of disinformation. It is an information black hole that swallows you deeper and deeper as much as you remain stuck. It is the worst time-killing tool. Spoil hours and hours of your precious time digging down on social media apps, only to emerge with a disappointment. Time is money that you must not spend cheaply on cheaper “entertainment”. Pandemic hit start of 2021, provides an opportunity to reassess your social media relationship. Following tips can help to get out of the addiction.
- Get away with all social media apps icons from the home screen of your smartphone.
- Reserve a predefined time quota for social media, only to abide by it like a religious ritual.
- Unfollow all connections that do not add value to your purposeful learning.
- Use a social media time management app for scheduling your online time.
- Stop using the phone in bed or at least replace it with a book.
- Better to deactivate your social media accounts at intervals.
Health is Wealth
The previous year changed everything about outdoor activities. Health-related activities like walking, jogging, and workout are the worst hit of the pandemic. The stay-at-home compulsion help in putting more weight. You are unknowingly trapped in unhealthy lethargic habits. It will lead to compromising your mental and physical well-being. Working from home does not mean sticking with a laptop screen. Fix a time for indoor physical activities. Better to be an unpaid coach for your family. Doing some aerobics in a team is fun for all to enjoy.
Update Your Resume
Sooner or later the pandemic has to go away. You will be an energetic person to resume a normal life if you are considering my advice to follow. You will be back in a normal routine with a lot of energy, new skills, and unmatched enthusiasm. New opportunities will be waiting for you. It is high time now to update your resume. Believe me, you need it in a shorter time than you think.
Must Read @ Mind Classic
Originally published at https://mindclassic.com on February 13, 2021.
