2020 the year when everything changed…
2020 the year when everything changed
2020 the year when everything changed. Wind back the clock to 31st December 2019, the New Year’s Eve party is going strong, we’re piling in John and Hilly’s living room watching the fireworks explode over Corbiere phare, a drink in hand, and listen to Big Ben ringing in 2020.
The teenagers are dancing, the oldies (us) playing silly games or dancing, there is laughter, teasing and the atmosphere is buzzing.
Little did we know what was coming around the corner and that 2020 was the year when everything would change.
All the best plans and all that…
I am a planner, an organizer, I like to know what I am going to do and when I am going to do it. This means that I research family holidays. I book them a year in advance so everyone can relax and enjoy it when we get there (me included). Ok, I am a self-confessed control freak, you only need to ask my co-workers…
So imagine my dismay in March when:
- My daughter couldn’t visit from London as planned in April
- I had to cancel our trip to France to see my parents.
- The surprise family holiday with our grown-up children I organized for my hubby’s birthday in September was also canceled.
I have no control over events unfurling around me and it is scary. So I carry on washing my hands, giving people space and now I also wear a mask
Opportunities…
Unlike a lot of people, I feel comfortable with my own company. Therefore, when the lockdown arrived, I didn’t mind working from home. After all, current technology empowers connectivity from wherever you are.
I had been trying to move towards a paperless office, and to encourage online meetings. All of a sudden, just like that, our meetings moved to zoom without resistance from the dinosaurs… All our business activities moved entirely online overnight, even the morning coffee breaks/chats with friends & colleagues.
My efforts to move the business in the 21st century over the past 2 years by transitioning to cloud servers and implementing remote meetings technology as a backup plan (we are on an island at the mercy of the weather and often cut from the world during fog season) have paid off. The transition was seamless.
Looking for the positives…
Now that I am back in the office, I am thinking about putting down a request to work from home more often. I found that working away from the office:
- No more commuting means no waste of time and a reduction of my carbon footprint and fuel expenses.
- Free access to my kitchen meant I took the time to have something healthy to eat at lunchtime, helping with keeping my weight under control.
- I suffered fewer interruptions as people couldn’t just “pop into my office” to ask questions and became more productive.
- I was more selective about who I wanted to talk to and better able to manage my time.
- With the time saved by not commuting, I was able to redirect to some of my hobbies, making me feel more relaxed.
2020, the year when everything changed. What did I miss? Not that much really, I missed my morning coffee routine with my friend and the physical touch from giving someone a hug. But, I am fortunate enough to share my life with a wonderful person I call my husband and he volunteers himself happily to fill that gap.
Finally
It is not over, in September, we returned to the office, and now it looks like the Covid-19 cases are rising again. It will take all of us, working together to make a change in the dissemination of the virus. Will humankind takes this opportunity to build bridges or will it resort to isolationism? The pandemic has shown that humans are capable of great selflessness, but also great selfishness.
We applauded our health and essential workers one minute to simply forget that during the quiet 2 months since the lockdown was lifted, they have not had the opportunity to recharge their batteries. Will those amazing individuals find the strength to fight the appearing second wave?
Let us all do our bit to help them, keep washing your hands, keep space between yourself and strangers, wear a mask indoors.
2020 the year when everything changed I feel the way we used to live our lifes has now changed for ever.