28 Days Later - From Thriving to Surviving

by Peter Boswell @ SAStalks.com

Waking up on Sunday 1st March 2020 and saying out loud “White Rabbits”, it’s a little tradition i’ve always had on the first of the month, I had no idea how dramatically the world was about to change. Although the news was getting serious, there was no reason for me to feel under immediate threat from the Coronavirus.

I spent around an hour that Sunday writing a small list of things to talk about to spread positivity in my workplace during the week. There were definitely some people who were visibly anxious and I see my role as one of positivity and a source of joy, so I always have a silly fact, warm piece of advice or an idea to take people to a happy place.

I did some shopping and bought some nice new things for my house, this made me happy and I spent the afternoon feeling very content with how the day had gone. Later that evening I did my weekly Charity Radio show for Hospital Radio and came home for a lovely bit of dinner.

Sundays had never been so good!

Why on earth should you care about my Sunday 1st March 2020? Well I am fairly sure that your Sunday was a good one too, it was a Sunday where your mind was occupied with all the usual things that formed your daily life. Maybe you were working, with family or just enjoying a bit of time to yourself.

We didn’t know what was just around the corner.

Work life was good and projects were coming to fruition as well as planning for the next 90 days. I was thriving and had hugely ambitious plans for the future, both at work and at home.

Hit In The Face

I’ve never been hit in the face, but the nightmare that began to unfurl felt like an absolute battering and our worlds began to fall apart. have you ever stopped and wondered just how quickly thing could fall apart? I have, but never for more than a few minutes and this is because I know i’m good at what I do, and I know that my results speak louder than what I could (even though I do talk quite excitedly!)

And it wasn’t just me, I looked in shock as jobs began to fall, people who had great jobs lost them, despair filled social media and LinkedIn became a place filled with eyes looking for hope.

LinkedIn is usually full of hope but it became a place of survival. Businesses began to change their operating model overnight, doing things that had previously been on their 3-5 year plans. They tried to adapt to the imminent market changes. We saw a degree of desperation fill our screens which was refreshed every few minutes.

28 Days Later

And here we are 28 Days later (almost):

• Locked down and experimenting with new pasta recipes while rationing the number of sheets you can use in the bathroom.
• Glued to the TV at 4-6pm looking for the latest updates from the Prime Minister
• Wondering how and if we will be able to pay our next bills
• Hoping that jobs don’t completely dry up
• Worrying that loved ones or yourself don’t become sick
• Looking ahead and trying to see if this is life for 3 months or even years

We’re surviving and there’s no other way to look at it. We can’t plan for the future in the same way as before, as it is more unknown than ever, and we can’t think that this is a distant issue that won’t affect us. It is affecting us all and it is affecting us now.

So how do we reverse the words “Thriving to Surviving”? We want to read this sentence backwards very soon and we want to look back and say “Crikey, I’m glad that is over” as we begin to start a new life on planet earth.

I’m using this time to evaluate what i’m good at, what i’m great at, and what i need to get better at. I have a list (I love a list!) and i’m pleased to say that all categories have lots in them.

If you are thinking about what to do next and how you will begin to Thrive then I highly recommend putting some time aside and think hard about your next steps. Maybe now is the time to put the wheels in motion for the things you have always wanted to professionally pursue?

My strengths are:

• Customer Service
• Management Development
• Face to Face training
• E-Learning
• People Development
• Learning Strategy
• Keynote Talks

I’m updating my website and seeing if these skills can help a business who needs it. Today these services are free. Tomorrow I hope to charge for them but right now I’m just looking to survive.

Help me thrive and let me help you do the same.

www.SAStalks.com