Finding Value In COVID

The pandemic is the most consequential event of 2020. If there is any silver lining beyond the death toll and economic collapse, it’s that life at the nuclear level improved tremendously for families and neighborhoods. Mine in particular is alive, and what was a sleepy, quiet subdivision morphed into something much more vibrant. When I look out my window, almost at any time of the day, I see families walking and children playing. That was not always the case. I rarely saw people outside before the pandemic. Most of these folks were like us, running between one appointment to the next, one distraction to another, but are now investing in their surroundings. It’s a welcome change.

We are lucky. As of this post, we are both employed. We also work from home, but that is coming to an end. These past six months benefited us as a family tremendously. I got to see Ben improve his speech and Teddy learn to read. I saw my wife for lunch everyday. I was home for dinner regardless of how much I worked.That is a part of my life I will forever cherish.

Before the pandemic, I struggled managing my time. The morning commute for me was terrible. I started my day early and struggled getting enough sleep. I typically had thirty free minutes in a day to myself, if that, and that is not hyperbole. Basically it boiled out to my morning bathroom time. My wife felt as stressed, maybe even more, and the summer for me is the only time of the year I could relax because she doesn’t work during the summer. Because of the pandemic I did not get that additional morning break and I truly missed it.

One really big breakthrough I did accomplish was skilling up at my job. After transitioning out of accounting and finance I had to learn how to be good in my new role, which is different, but not different. The skills needed to be successful in my role are something you have to learn on your own. Luckily I had a great base for it I could work on but I didn’t feel I was skilling up as quickly as I could be pre-pandemic. Because I could rarely work late without causing a huge pile up at home I could never take the time to really learn the intricacies of what I was doing. That changed and I took advantage of it. I also think that will benefit me down the road, so I found some value in the slow down and life changes COVID brought about.

Lastly I did improve my health quite a bit. COVID is a cardio-vascular disease, I am convinced of it. As such, the best way to combat this truth is to improve your cardio health. I’m not the only one with this plan. Evidently there’s a major termination among smokers who are ditching the habit. Since we purchased a treadmill I’ve been running several times a week and I’ve noticed an improvement all around, especially in leg strength. I am looking forward to continuing this trend, even after this pandemic has long passed.

Also, I finally saw my stylist and got chopped. Before and after are below: