A New Way to Goal-Set for Life and Work in an Abnormal World
We can’t think about time the way we used to
Omicron is here. And Pi, Rho, and Sigma are possibly right around the corner. If the last 20 months have taught us anything, it is that we will have to deal with tectonic change in a way we never expected to: nearly daily. For those of us who don’t like change — or who resist it with every cell in our bodies — this has been an excruciating chapter of our lives and of our careers. It is no longer accurate to call these “pandemic times” (isn’t the worst of it over?) or “post-Covid times” (aren’t we still in it?) We are simply living in abnormal times.
The norm were times in which change was a fixture, but we knew generally when to expect it: when a major life event occurred, like graduating, quitting your job, getting married, having a baby, etc. At those crossroads, we believed we could control the change. The mere concept of “change management” — both at the office and in any number of self-help books — makes the important assumption that we can control change. Or at least control the fallout, results, or consequences that come from it.
The abnormal times have taught us this: we cannot.
As we approach the end of the year, our instinct will be to set goals for the year ahead. That’s what we…
