Take the mindset less traveled
 
Happiness

When COVID Is Over, What Life Do You Want to Live?

Ponder a Better Future

A Time To Reflect

When this epidemic finally ends – and it will – what life do you want to live?  Do you want to go right back to the rat race or do you want to lead a different life?

As days turn into weeks & weeks into months, there is no time better than now to dig REALLY deep, reflect on your past, draft your future, and adopt a mindset that helps you achieve a more successful, fulfilling and happy life going forward. 

Fortunate that my family is safe & healthy, I am grateful for this silver lining of the “free time” that this has afforded me to do this for myself. Just 3 months ago, I dreamed of finding time to go to the barber, let alone reflect on life!

So if you weren’t thrilled with everything before, I encourage you (and your family) to enjoy these thoughts and take a moment to put life in perspective so you don’t get pulled in the same direction as before.

Here’s some initial inspiration with Ravi Shanker…

Start by Interviewing Yourself

Nothing ever happens without first starting as a thought.  So if there is any good place to start, I’d suggest thinking deeply about the answer to the question: “If Coronavirus didn’t exist, would I be truly happy with the life that I’m living?”

Thinking deeply about something is one of my favorite things to do in life. Whether I’m planning my week, thinking about my career or preparing for a meeting, it helps me consider things entirely, from many different angles.  

One of my favorite ways to do this is to literally write questions down & answer them.  And for the readers that know me, they know about my “black books” & notebooks full of Jeremy’s brain chatter 😃. But it works!

The reason I think writing things down works so well is that you’re able to literally move clutter from your brain onto paper, thus freeing up some capacity. Further, you’re doing it for yourself, not your manager. And when things are written down, they feel more permanent & real than briefly considering something in your mind.

So whether or not you take on the paper & ink process like I do, here are a few things to ponder during any bonus time you find.

  • Life & Happiness – How did I feel before all this? What anxieties were on my mind then?  What are the top 10 things I’m most grateful for? How would I like to improve my family life in the future?  What are some things I can give up at work to improve my family life? Who are the most important people to me in my life? Who can I call to thank them for how they’ve impacted me?
  • Passion & Drivers – What are my biggest drivers in life?  What am I passionate about in this world?  What really gets me out of bed in the morning?  What are 5 things I wanted to do in life that I was too busy for?  What is the first step? Do I want to live somewhere else? What are 5 places I want to travel to in the next 5 years?  
  • Career & Money – What are some things I want to do when I get back to the office to make a difference?  What do I love & hate about my last 3 jobs? What are some other verticals, industries or companies I see myself working in?  What are the top 5 components of a job in the future? Which 5 people in my dream job should I call to ask them for advice?

An Unconquerable Mindset

I totally understand how hard it is to dig deep and stay positive in this environment – and there are a LOT of things I cannot control. Two things I can? Staying in to stop the spread and choosing a mindset of positivity no matter what.

And for those that aren’t able to ‘flip the positive switch’ (as I experienced in the past), I suggest taking the time to do the “self-interview” above. When you channel the negative energy into this positive, forward thinking, developmental experience – I promise you will improve your mindset ten-fold, at least in the short-term.

Here are some other things to consider as start building an unconquerable mindset.

  • Clarity – Having clarity on things you’d like to improve and why is absolutely key.  Asking yourself these questions will not only isolate the barriers to success but it will help you strategize and prioritize ways to get there.  
  • Conviction – It’s hard to argue with facts, isn’t it?   Taking the time to write these things down on paper turns them into fact. Once in ink, they’re final…and real.
  • Confidence – Who you are & what you become really is a result of how you think.  If you think the worst, negative things will come. If you think positively, you’re more likely to engage in productive actions that get you where you want to go.
  • Continuity – Imagine taking an hour a week / month to clear out the brain & take a pulse on where you stand in life and with your goals.  Things change over time, so this will help you continue to reassess and prioritize what’s important.
  • Patience – Just keep truckin’.  Everything takes time. Don’t dwell on the end result. More importantly, enjoy the journey that gets you there.

Taking Action with JOY

I don’t know about you, but I want to live a life that’s exciting, fun and fulfilling. It doesn’t just happen randomly. Stuff needs to happen. When you think about what your life can become, it makes the annoying “to do” items that much more enjoyable and rewarding.

Here are some areas that I feel have benefited (or could benefit) from the extended lock in. Which of these areas do you want to extend into your future?

  • Mindfulness – If you read my article on meditation, you know why that 5-10 minutes a day with Calm or Headspace can bring you a world of happiness, like it did for me. Learn it now so it becomes engrained in your routine when this is over.
  • Quality Family Time – Setup a designated puzzle table, a weekly gaming competition or a daily morning or evening walk.  Whatever healthy family ritual you’ve created, make it last. These moments will be worth more to you later in life than the extra hour you spent in the office.  
  • Quality Personal Time – Stop doing things for other people. I’m sure you’ve taken a minute or two to pick up the ole’ guitar, read a book, or go for a hike.  These things are key to work-life balance. Really be present with the fact that you did it for yourself & nobody else.  
  • Get a Better Job – While I have no regrets, a career frustration for me was how I’ve always let my career and experiences dictate future moves vs. really pondering what I wanted.  It sounds obvious, but people constantly get stuck in jobs that are just OK or worse, they hate.  Start TODAY: interview yourself, apply to 5 companies you like, and send personalized ‘connection messages’ to 5 related managers on LinkedIn (**and a bonus if you email those that didn’t reply 3 days later!).
  • Start a Hobby or Side-Gig with PASSION – First & foremost, take the first step – that’s the hardest. I’ve always left my creative business ideas on a list of “Business Ideas” in Google Docs.  Go figure. What a crappy feeling. It wasn’t until I used some of the free time lately to try writing, something I didn’t even know how much I’d enjoy. I have idea where it will go, but I’m damn glad I started, and that I have some kind of plan in mind.
  • Plan the Next Vacation – The challenge here is whether you’ll be able to do that this summer or fall.  Why not plan 2?! I believe that the research on places to go is 75% of the fun, and the trip itself is the rest.

Create a Better Life in Round 2

Listen, nobody wants to see a pandemic in the world like this.  It’s had horrible consequences, and it’s still getting worse. But if you can identify the silver lining and control the things you can, you can identify the challenges and missteps from Round 1 and take over in Round 2. I promise.Once this is over, let’s all have some perspective on what’s important and REALLY live life to the fullest.

Thanks,

Jeremy