Growth Opportunity

Many of my friends and colleagues are working at home since the pandemic. Most like it - some don’t. Those with children sometimes find it difficult to meet the needs of work and home, and have shifted their hours in order to do both. But the most surprising thing I hear is that many people are working more hours than they did in the office, not because they have more work, because they don’t know what else to do! These are people got back an hour or two a day back into their lives because they don’t have to commute, and rather than use it for themselves, they give that time to their work.

Now this is not all bad. Obviously these friends and colleagues enjoy their work, and with the laptop sitting there beckoning them, they find it hard to say no. The result is 60 to 80 hour weeks for some folks, and they seem to be fine with it. But the opportunity cost is huge.

No doubt that each of these people have dreams and aspirations beyond work, but when I ask them why they work so much, they say that “there’s nothing else to do”. This is a response to the pandemic more than just working at home, otherwise they might be planning a vacation, or an outing for the weekend or even a dinner with friends.

With these things on hold for the foreseeable future, that means digging into your values and desires and bringing them to top of your awareness. Work and routines can bury those desires that we once held dear, and this is a great time to resurrect them.

This is an excellent opportunity for learning. Have you ever wanted to play an instrument, learn a new language or become an artist? Have you thought about starting your own business? What about reading? Are there books on your list that you haven’t gotten to, or classics you never read. And you could still plan that ideal vacation. Pick a spot and start researching the destination. Plan out all the details so that when the pandemic is over you can execute it.

Yes, these are tough times, and they’re also times for unique opportunities for some. Not everyone has the luxury of working from home, but for those that do, this is a chance to add value to your life with the gift of the extra hours you’ve been given.