If 2020 hasn’t caused change in your life, you’re one of few! Between pandemics & natural disasters, the Midwest has been rocked. Change, adaptation, and coping are now required skills.
It is our hardest times that teach us the most and help us grow. I have had to remap and adapt several times as a business owner. I have had to help my children adapt and cope as their schooling and activities change again and again.
While this year has brought its share of challenges, it has also brought its share of growth. Hidden blessings in forced change. As I reflect over it all and continue to plan my next moves (with backup plans B, C, and D given the year’s history), I find myself grateful for the impact of it all.
Slowing down has always been hard for me. At some point around 2000 I hit the ground running and never stopped. I thrive on being busy and productive. I feel better checking items off the list. I work best under pressure and worst with none. 
Needless to say, the forced slow down of a pandemic threw me for a whirl. The first two weeks were a series of panic attacks as I worried about where we were supposed to be or what we were supposed to be doing. Reminding myself that there was nowhere and nothing offered little relief. The subsequent two weeks found me managing the depressing thought that all aspects of my life outside of the home were “optional”. I’m “non-essential”. This is something you know in fitness. Memberships are an “extra” in people’s lives and the first things cut when reducing spending. However, the endless hours and energy I had poured into committees, boards, and projects, also stopped suddenly. All the things I had devoted so much of my life to were now deemed unimportant.
Now, before you start analyzing me, realize this was all a part of the mental process of dealing with a global pandemic and shutdown. The logical bits of my brain quietly reminded me in the background that my work had mattered and that my time and efforts weren’t wasted.
As I filtered through the feelings and adapted to the changes, I realized I was so happy to have a break. The extra time with my kids was a blessing. They also found gratitude in the slow down. No pressure to perform. No crazy nights rushing from activity to activity. No stress about being late. No worries about letting somebody down. Listening to their thoughts on it all, especially my youngest, was an eye opener for me. We had created this culture of rushing and a need to be busy in our home that was ludacris and unnecessary.
The impact of 2020 events gave us the time to evaluate how we had gotten here and, more importantly, what we want the future to look like.
I have chosen to pursue a better balance. I will continue to pursue my passions, but be choosier about the rest. I encourage my children to follow suit. We will focus on making time for each other and enjoying the simpler moments. I will focus on serving my household before others and making the most of these final years with them home.
So, while there has been loss and strain and  sadness, it has all been a hidden blessing. A higher power has given us a chance to pause and recalculate. We have been reminded that the path isn’t always easy, nor is it always the one we had planned to take. I always say if you look for the light in a situation, it will be easier to get through. Let’s take this opportunity, this pause, this redirect, to remember what is truly important and focus on that.
Wishing you all the best, Jolynne