I know it seems like a lifetime ago, but think back to before we were all plunged into this global pandemic. What was on your personal To Do list? What goals were you working toward? What projects were most important to you?
Are those things still important to you? Why or why not?
Does it still feel possible to make progress toward your objectives? Why or why not?
It may be tempting to use this disruption and uncertainty as a reason to give up on goals you have been working towards. Or as an excuse to (over)indulge in things that move you even further from your goal.
Alternatively, you can choose to find the ways in which this disruption offers an opportunity.
- Cooking more at home means eating more nutritious meals.
- Less commuting means more time to exercise.
- Fewer trips to the grocery store means less impulse buying.
- Not eating out equals less temptation to overindulge.
- The loss of old routines is a golden opportunity to establish new patterns.
- A change in employment status is a chance to pursue a new path.
You can decide which of your previous habits you want to return to when conditions allow and which of them you’ll shed for good. After all, not all of what we used to consider “normal” was good for us.
How do I know that it is possible to grow and thrive in the midst of chaos and uncertainty?
I’m watching you do it.
In March, just as Covid was shutting down the world as we know it, a new cohort was just beginning in the year-long Weighless program. We’ve got teachers, parents, essential workers, business owners, furloughed workers, and first responders. And these people are KILLING it! They aren’t making excuses. They are figuring it out. (And if you can learn to weigh less during a global pandemic, there’s really nothing that can stop you.)
In a few weeks, we’re planning to open enrollment for our next group. We don’t know how the current situation will affect enrollment. We may have a smaller group than usual. And that’s totally fine. In fact, it may be a bonus. Because these will be people who understand that conditions are never ideal and that health and well-being is not a luxury. And that right there is a powerful predictor of their success.
In the meantime, I want to encourage all of us to use the challenges we are facing as an opportunity and not an excuse.
