Challenge
Jot down the tasks you do today (work and personal). Causally observe the way you think and approach that task. Write a few words that describe how you approached this task prior to the work-safe-from-home order. Then write a few words about how you approached it today. Did the environmental change alter your approach?
The work environment has changed drastically during the past month. More of the workforce has moved from company sites to a home office or even a dining room or kitchen table. Kids, pets and family members demand more of our attention because we are physically present likely more than we've even been. Prioritizing and staying focused has become challenging.
This morning, I was quarantined in the kitchen with our four pets, attending an executive webinar from my counter while workers pounded on the house outside. There were waffles and English muffins to toast, coffee to pour and biscuits to be given. With one earbud and a fixed radius to travel from the computer, these tasks were shuffled--all while continuing to take notes on the webinar.
This has become our new norm, at least for the foreseeable future. We are focusing on and juggling a variety of priorities that may differ from a few months ago. We are exercising and training (or retraining) different parts of our brain. We are being challenged in news ways. This is exciting! We have new and difficult challenges. Lean into this environment. You'll likely multitask much more. You may discover you have much more capacity than you thought you had a month ago.
—Monique Jozwiakowski