The ONE Question to Ask Yourself During Covid

On a recent outing, I heard a thirty-something woman lament to her friend, “It’s hard not to have anything to look forward to.”

I get it. The days are blending into each other and, not knowing when Covid will end, we can’t make long-term plans. It seems our lives are on hold, indefinitely.

Once I acknowledge how much this sucks all around, I’m left with the question: What’s the opportunity here?

Call me optimistic—or delusional—I am choosing to find a silver lining in the midst of this pandemic. I believe we can all learn and grow from the trials in our lives; why not this one? So… What is Covid meant to teach you?

For me—I’m admittedly a bit of a control freak—the opportunity lies in learning to sit with the uncertainty and in accepting that I can’t plan ahead because I simply have no idea when and how life will return to some semblance of “normal.”

How am I embracing this opportunity? While I can’t say I’m living in the present, I’ve become much less focused on the future. I’m taking it one day at a time (OK, maybe one week at a time), and there’s a surprising relief in that. Despite plenty of days jam-packed with Zooms and calls, I’m thrilled to wake up to other days with plenty of time to work on my passion projects and maybe squeeze in a little relaxation. I am blessed, I know.

I’ve spoken to many women in my coaching groups about this question of finding the opportunity in this challenging time. Their responses have ranged from tackling an overdue project to learning a new skill, from reaching out to long-lost friends to prioritizing self-care.

YOUR TURN: What’s the opportunity for YOU during Covid? What’s a small step you can take toward realizing that opportunity?