Just like everyone else on this planet, I have been struggling to find ways to adapt to our new reality or ‘New Normal’ of having much of our time at home and do most of our activities and work in the confinements of our houses. And just like everything else, the first time is always the hardest.
“The Measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”
– Albert Einstein
Big Changes Are Inevitable
Back in February, when Covid-19 had begun spreading like a wild fire around the globe, many people in my home country Indonesia (myself included) still clung on to the idea that this virus would not alter our way of life significantly and that somehow the humidity and tropical weather would shield us against the infectious Covid-19. Well. It did not take long for that erroneous belief to crumble down like the Berlin wall. As more and more people get infected and the government is forced to impose strict ‘stay at home’ and ‘work from home’ policies, we do not have much of a choice but to accept and adapt to this new reality. This new reality includes big changes in the way we work, travel, communicate and socialize. And the two key words here is ‘ACCEPTANCE’ and ‘ADAPTATION’. After a month of home quarantine, I have fully accepted the fact that things WILL NOT go back to the way they used to be or at the least not EXACTLY the way they used to be. Once I have accepted this, I can begin the process of adapting by trying to create a new routine.
A New Routine
New Normal requires New Routine
One of the key to sucessfully adapting to the ‘new normal’ in these uncertain times is to create a New Routine. This involves developing new habits and activities that are not mere copies of your old habits wrapped differently. We are creatures of habits, we tend to do things the way we have always usually done it in the past. One research points out that we spend approximately 80% of our time on routine activities, 15% on new things and 5% on things that are really important. This is the main reason why many people get bored and frustrated. They are just shifting their routine activities which they used to perform outside into their homes. We need to create new habits, find new interests and acquire new skills which will enable to cope with all the changes that are happening around us.
One silver lining that I have seen coming out of this crisis is the abundance of time suddenly available to do things we are passionate about but have not had the opportunity to dwell into. In my case, it is spending more time with my family, doing some home improvement projects and learn how to code. Yup, that last bit was not a typo. I do want to learn Coding since I figured that is a great way to improve myself and be able to help my children with their coding homeworks. That 15% bit of our time spent on learning new things should be expanded as much as possible to accommodate your free time and improve your skill and wellbeing along the way. Maybe now would be a good time to start creating that online store businesses that you have always wanted but never had the time to try ? Or maybe start writing your own blogs on your life experiences and your hobbies.
My personal favorite methods of learning new things are through readings and watching documentaries. Fortunately, nowadays most things can be done online, thanks to the internet and advancement in technology. You would not believe the amount of new skills, knowledge and interest that I’ve picked up from browsing the web.
Whatever your preferred methods of learning are, I can not stress enough the importance of being able to adapt in this new reality we are facing. Many of the personal blogs I am posting on this website will deal with tips and tricks to help you adapt easier and hopefully come out a better person in this ever changing world we live in.