Note: This is a guest piece from Patrick Mahoney, CEO of We Are Nations
Today is the start of our third week of working from home. I’ve developed what I think is a pretty good routine – it’s important to do so – and I’m sticking to it.
Every morning starts at 8:00 am with a massive pot of coffee. 8:30 am to 1:00 pm are back-to-back phonecalls, which – to be honest – isn’t all the different from normal. But as I mentioned last week, I am making sure to speak to new contacts both outside my normal circle and also outside of We Are Nation’s normal business focus. These calls especially have been really enjoyable and I hope they ultimately turn in to opportunity we normally wouldn’t come across.
After the calls, I head outside (alone, of course) for a run or a bike ride. Keeping active is just as important as keeping up a routine. I’ve been an endurance athlete for years so putting in the hours isn’t new to me, but now more than ever I use this time to find clarity. One of the ironies I’ve discovered resulting from social distancing is that the reality of the new communication is even more dependent on multiple concurrent conversations by email, text, Zoom, WhatsApp, GroupMe, and every other app out there. I’ve also noticed that people are (gasp!) even using the phone more. So no matter what, you still have to find ways to “step away” for a break to keep fresh and stay centred.
By late afternoon, I’m back at home to finish up the day. However, my days are not as intense at the moment. For the first week, I felt guilty about this. But then I decided that feeling guilty didn’t make any sense because the fact of the matter is that when this crisis ends, our normal lives will come roaring back. Some of us will eat out every day for a month. Some of us will go see every band or every movie that is playing. And at the same time, the “live side” business of esports will come back – the tournaments, the consumer shows and the conferences. Our businesses will be back up and firing on all cylinders and our travel schedules will be just as crazy as they were a month or two ago.
But for now, we just have to keep going with the flow and take each day as they come. Use the time wisely. Rediscover yourself. Remember CDs? I’m listening to some albums I’ve not listened to in 10 years, all while watching a recap of the 1998 Tour de France, which I found on DVD in the same box as the lava lamp.
The COVID-19 crisis is far from over and, by now, many of us have been personally impacted by the illness in some way or another. Unfortunately, we are not even close to a place where we can begin to measure what the human tragedy and toll of this ordeal will be. Add to this that the media and social networks can be equal parts helpful and unhelpful when trying to keep up with what’s happening around the world, and it’s very easy for these days to become confusing and scary. But I am starting to see some news reports and other data cutting through the white noise that maybe, just maybe, are pointing the way to the end of the tunnel.
So let’s keep going, everyone. And I hope you, your families, friends, and coworkers are safe. No matter what, we still have each other.
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