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You’ve Been More Productive Than You Think
If the last six months seem like wasted time, you can change the narrative
Write a novel. Learn French, Learn to French braid. Back in the early pandemic days, many people pledged to use the time freed up by not having to commute or shuttle kids to activities to finally tackle big projects that had been on the back burner for years.
Six months in, I’m guessing you, like me, haven’t accomplished many BIG THINGS. And so, your pandemic narrative may seem unsatisfying.
So change the narrative.
By consciously celebrating the successes you’ve had in the last few months — however small — you can change the way you recount this time for years to come. It’s a move that won’t both reframes the past and sets a path toward a more positive future.
Look for small wins
A lack of time gets blamed for many things, but time is seldom the sole culprit. If someone had, back in March, offered to pay you $100,000 to write a 50,000-word novel draft by September 1, there’s a good chance you would have done it. It’s not that there wasn’t time, it just wasn’t a priority. How could it be? Mustering creative energy is hard, especially when it’s in the service of an uncertain reward. And in this new pandemic-era world, you’ve probably had plenty of other things demanding your energy: navigating health issues, working with constant kid distractions, financial trouble.
But a novel or another completed creative endeavor need not be the yardstick of success. Chances are, plenty of other things have gone right, mostly because of your actions.
For instance, maybe you’re running your business or doing your job at about the same level of output as before, despite widespread economic disruption.
Maybe your family has been eating dinner together more nights than not. Maybe you mastered a new recipe that gets rave reviews from your normally picky eaters.
