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Waiting for Better?
Aug. 30th, 2020 11:00 amWorking from home is a lonely grind. The minutes spent interacting with co-workers is gone and I wind down the work day by watching an information management webinars. I crave ideas and, well, they are a good source of them! I watched one this week that really gave me pause and helped a lot.
There's a widely used U shaped model of coping with change--whether it's job loss, grief or divorce. Basically we enter at the top of the U, hit the bottom and then climb back out. After 20+ weeks of travelling the U, I feel close to climbing out of it.
Part of change is recognizing the opportunity for growth and change. Some people seize on these opportunities faster than others because they're wired that way for a growth mindset. The rest of us have to stretch that skill. I live in a place known for conservatism which sometimes masks itself as caution. But, I also live in a place that loves big ideas and sometimes it feels like seesawing between the past and future!
Anyway, one section of the webinar was titled How has working from home shifted your paradigm?. LOL! It was hard not to laugh at the corporate speak, but there was a grain of truth. As a result of COVID:
Years ago a volunteer group member praised me. "You recognize when you have to change before you're forced to change," she said. It was true. When she had hit her 40s, she was diagnosed with celiac disease, her husband passed away suddenly and she needed heart valve replacement surgery. Talk about that U shaped change curve!
Many organizations, like my workplace and my art school, have finally been forced into the 21st century. Fear of change, lack of trust, lack of motivation--all these things stop innovation in its tracks. The technology for distance work has been here for years--it just has to be implemented. A scary endeavor suddenly turns out to be positive. Our transit system finally implemented mobile ticketing, again, a technology that has been around for years! Why make it harder for people to do something? I'm all for reducing or removing barriers where possible.
I live next to a park and you know, it's not a bad thing that suddenly there are more people out jogging, walking and cycling. I have spent more time talking to the neighbours this year than the previous 17 years. I love watching families play and spend time together.
I also live in a big city where all roads lead downtown. It has a radiating effect and creates unhealthy lifestyles. No doubt about it, especially since more affordable housing is on the edge of the city as opposed to the interior. Instead of infrastructure that allows everyone to move freely, you're stuck with a fixed system that worships the car and public transportation is an afterthought. Spend a day trying to navigate parts of Northeast Calgary and you'll realize how badly the urban design there hates people.
These days I feel less like a cog in a broken system. A cog where if I missed a bus, the rest of the day was ruined. A cog where I was at the mercy of other people (heh, INFJ represent!). A cog where everything ran on time with no room for fun or relaxation. I used to wait for normal, but now I realize that I'm actually waiting for better. I'm waiting for new ideas and new infrastructure and new ways of living that bring the human element back into play.
There's a widely used U shaped model of coping with change--whether it's job loss, grief or divorce. Basically we enter at the top of the U, hit the bottom and then climb back out. After 20+ weeks of travelling the U, I feel close to climbing out of it.
Part of change is recognizing the opportunity for growth and change. Some people seize on these opportunities faster than others because they're wired that way for a growth mindset. The rest of us have to stretch that skill. I live in a place known for conservatism which sometimes masks itself as caution. But, I also live in a place that loves big ideas and sometimes it feels like seesawing between the past and future!
Anyway, one section of the webinar was titled How has working from home shifted your paradigm?. LOL! It was hard not to laugh at the corporate speak, but there was a grain of truth. As a result of COVID:
- We're spending less on gas plus wear and tear on the car
- I save $106 on monthly bus passes
- We get to sleep in an extra hour...which is very important in your 40s!
- I feel healthier mentally in some ways not having to rush everywhere
- We're eating better and saving money on our food/dining bill
Years ago a volunteer group member praised me. "You recognize when you have to change before you're forced to change," she said. It was true. When she had hit her 40s, she was diagnosed with celiac disease, her husband passed away suddenly and she needed heart valve replacement surgery. Talk about that U shaped change curve!
Many organizations, like my workplace and my art school, have finally been forced into the 21st century. Fear of change, lack of trust, lack of motivation--all these things stop innovation in its tracks. The technology for distance work has been here for years--it just has to be implemented. A scary endeavor suddenly turns out to be positive. Our transit system finally implemented mobile ticketing, again, a technology that has been around for years! Why make it harder for people to do something? I'm all for reducing or removing barriers where possible.
I live next to a park and you know, it's not a bad thing that suddenly there are more people out jogging, walking and cycling. I have spent more time talking to the neighbours this year than the previous 17 years. I love watching families play and spend time together.
I also live in a big city where all roads lead downtown. It has a radiating effect and creates unhealthy lifestyles. No doubt about it, especially since more affordable housing is on the edge of the city as opposed to the interior. Instead of infrastructure that allows everyone to move freely, you're stuck with a fixed system that worships the car and public transportation is an afterthought. Spend a day trying to navigate parts of Northeast Calgary and you'll realize how badly the urban design there hates people.
These days I feel less like a cog in a broken system. A cog where if I missed a bus, the rest of the day was ruined. A cog where I was at the mercy of other people (heh, INFJ represent!). A cog where everything ran on time with no room for fun or relaxation. I used to wait for normal, but now I realize that I'm actually waiting for better. I'm waiting for new ideas and new infrastructure and new ways of living that bring the human element back into play.
