I’ve been feeling a bit off lately. Not my usual self. Hum. I wonder what it could be.

2+ months of this and I’m pulling my head out of the hole in the ground it’s been in and I’m looking around and seeing…

…nothing is the same.

Then I think about what I have to look forward to.

But nothing is the same.

All our summer vacation plans were, surprisingly, canceled.

I look ahead and don’t know what I see for my kids.

Life has become a blur.

The life we thought the kids were going to have isn’t going to be happening.

How can Madde go back and live in a sorority with 26 girls in one room? 13 bunk beds?

OK. Justifiably you might ask what the heck she was doing living in a situation like that, to begin with, but it’s part of her “college experience.”

Then suddenly, it isn’t.

Will Audrey go back to San Diego to live with her 3 friends in a dorm room and attend live college classes? Or will she continue with online classes with little social interaction?

Will Marlowe be able to go abroad for school as he had planned?

Everything is thrown to the wind. The winds of change.

That’s what this situation feels like.

Life as we knew it… poof… gone.

What will “re-entry” look like?

What do we need to do to adjust?

Well, I for one am in the mourning stage of grief. I am mourning the loss of old ways. I’m mourning the goals I’ve been working to achieve which are now unrealistic. What was isn’t what is now.

I’m also anxious about what’s to come. How will this situation be resolved? Do we have to take vaccines? How will we know the efficacy of the vaccine?

When will people stop being “at-risk”?

Is “The Mask” the new fashion accessory? I have a whole new respect for surgeons. I can’t wear one without my nose dripping…and you can’t really blow your nose through a mask.

OK. Time to get over all of this. The new reality is here. I needed a few minutes to mourn the old ways which I totally took for granted when I was in the midst of it. Now I mourn for what is lost.

You have to go through mourning and deal with the feelings so you can release them and move on. If the feelings are never dwelt with, you become stuck.

I’m in the process of reviewing my values and updating my goals. What seemed like a good plan in January is not looking possible now in May. I have to restructure my marketing plan and find new ways of doing outreach for new clients. Harrumph.  

I need to figure out how to feel successful when the future is unknown. What can I do each day to feel like I’m moving in a positive direction?

I don’t have all the answers. I can barely think of the questions. But I do know the questions need to be asked and pondered. I do need to rethink why I’m doing what I’m doing.

What is my big why in light of this new reality? How can I best serve those around me? What do I need to do to feel like I’m contributing to the bigger picture of life?

When I think about it, I realize I’ve been training for years in copywriting. Particularly direct response copywriting. That is my strongest weapon. That is the power I need to harness to help myself and others move out of the morass of what is the New Reality.

Monday morning quarterbacking is easy. Hindsight is 20/20. What I need to do is stay my path. Keep moving forward. Don’t be swayed by the bright shiny objects that try to lure me off my path. Keep moving forward.

That is my new mantra. I repeat it to myself many times during the day.

When you’re worn down by all the stress and anxiety the New Reality brings, focus on your essentials. What’s the right next thing to do now. Hone in that focus. Don’t let the big picture or the long term view take you off course. Make sure your values are aligned with your goals and do the next right action. (Why am I thinking of Frozen II?)

The jackrabbit is a fascinating creature. When he is pursued, he runs, turning this way and that way willy-nilly. It seems there is no logic or reason for his actions.

This is an evolutionary trait. If the jackrabbit was to follow a logical path or run in a straight line, the mountain lion or bobcat could easily anticipate the rabbit’s next move and capture him. Since the rabbit is a random runner, his next move cannot be anticipated and this leads to a greater probability of his survival.

When you look back at your life, you may see lots of different activities. You may not see the logic that ties them all together. But look for the thread that you can pull through.

For me, my past includes working in fashion retailing, advertising, financial sales, speaking, leading workshops, writing, coaching, marketing, cold calling, being a wife, a mom, a sister, water aerobics instructor. What all this experience boils down to is the ability to distill a message in a way that people can clearly understand.

The message today is this:  you’re going through a difficult time right now. It’s been 2 months and it continues. You need time to mourn the loss of your old way of life and to figure out how you want to live your life going forward.

Then figure out what you can do today, what small step you can take right now, to move in the direction you want to go.

Small, baby steps in the direction of your dream. Inch by inch. The little engine that could. You will encounter many feelings and emotions in the coming weeks that will stymie you and leave you questioning your choices. Remember this: it’s always darkest before the dawn. The days are growing longer. The light is getting stronger.

Keep going.

If you feel like you want help in re-evaluating your goals for this year and want to talk about how to move forward with greater clarity during this time of tumult, you can schedule an appointment with me for a 30-minute consult. We can review your goals and see what direction will work for you going forward. Here is a link to my schedule:

Click here to book your complimentary consultation now.

And don’t worry. You are not alone in feeling anxious and mourning the loss of the way life used to be. It is very normal to feel that way. That doesn’t make it any easier, but at least you know you are not alone.

Very best to you.

Alicia