Last week I wrote about making the best of the challenges that 2020 has brought across our paths and reiterated the well-known saying “There is no growth in your comfort zone”. People responded that as there is so much pain and suffering right now that it is difficult to know where to start looking for the positives. Predictably this is to be expected as most people feel worn down by the rigours of Lockdown and the unfortunate run of negative news that accompanies it.

This week I prepared a social media post for Facebook. In this post I was speaking of individual versus team strengths. The challenge was for everyone to try and understand each other’s strengths as a way to understand their perspective. I used the metaphor of a rope and showed that each person’s rope is different. A rope can either provide security or it can be constricting. So, in effect the same tool can have two very different uses.

I feel the same about challenging situations. While we can say that, in general, the challenge itself is uncomfortable the growth is what is important. Does the growth give you knowledge and wisdom which provides security and confidence or does it confine you and make you feel restricted? Often we are so focused on the discomfort of the change process that we underestimate the value of the final product of the change journey.

During the lockdown I wrote a blog, Managing the COVID-19 Blues, containing a tool to evaluate and triage the challenges being faced during lockdown. This tool is as useful now to find the positives and opportunities.

Step 1:

Set up a table containing a few rows. Plot all the areas of your life that are important to you. To make this exercise easier you can use the basic outline of a life wheel which may include areas such as work, personal development, money, home, health, friends, community, spirituality, recreation and so on.

AreasWorkPersonal DevelopmentMoneyHome

Step 2:

Write down all the perceived opportunities in each of these areas.

AreasOpportunitiesTimingWorkIn having to rethink my business I have found a new services I can add to replace less viable services.Personal DevelopmentSome of the services I want to add to my business take more research and thought. This will mean I can develop my own skillset to incorporate these.MoneyMoney has been tight so I have had to rethink my spending and I can use this to better manage my money (and my businesses) going forward.HomeI have made deeper connections with friends and family over this period. We have a solid relationship and we will support each other during these times.

Step 3:

If you can, it is also a good idea to write down if you have a concept of the time when this might happen.

AreasThreatsTimingWorkIn having to rethink my business I have found a new services I can add to replace less viable services.Current as this is happening now.Personal DevelopmentSome of the services I want to add to my business take more research and thought. This will mean I can develop my own skillset to incorporate these.This may take 6 months or more.MoneyMoney has been tight so I have had to rethink my spending and I can use this to better manage my money (and my businesses) going forward.It could take up to a year to use these learnings and the new services to recoup some of the lost income.HomeI have made deeper connections with friends and family over this period. We have a solid relationship and we will support each other during these times.This is current and I will need to take everybody’s plans into account as we get back on our feet.

Step 4:

Next categorize each entry as follows: Green (immediate), yellow (medium term) and red (longer term).

AreasThreatsTimingWorkIn having to rethink my business I have found a new services I can add to replace less viable services.Current as this is happening now.Personal DevelopmentSome of the services I want to add to my business take more research and thought. This will mean I can develop my own skillset to incorporate these.This may take 6 months or more.MoneyMoney has been tight so I have had to rethink my spending and I can use this to better manage my money (and my businesses) going forward.It could take up to a year to use these learnings and the new services to recoup some of the lost income.HomeI have made deeper connections with friends and family over this period. We have a solid relationship and we will support each other during these times.This is current and I will need to take everybody’s plans into account as we get back on our feet.

Step 5:

I hope that this tool helps by giving you information that will make you feel secure and unrestricted.  With the ability to plan and prioritise the actions that will get you quick wins, as well as adequately plan for the longer-term goals. It is important to keep in mind all the areas in your lives that you need to pay attention too.

To end off I would like to leave you with a final thought on the rope I mentioned earlier. Rope is only as strong as it is comprised of a lot of thinner ropes that are wound together to create a larger, and stronger, rope. In the same way we can be stronger by being part of a support group, where we are not only getting but giving support as well. Together is truly better.

If such support is not available from your immediate environment then feel free to reach out to someone in the professional helping services to be your support during this time, or reach out to be a support to someone else.

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