The COVID Destruction of Habits

I love habits. Habits are my jam. With just a little research one can find tons of books and articles about the importance of habits for success. In February of 2020 my habits were down to a science. I woke up early to work out. I dropped my son off at daycare by 7:30 each morning and was at city hall by 7:45. I worked a full day of meetings before picking my son up (most days) by 5:30 pm. On Mondays I had city council meetings nearly every week. My habits were set in stone because my schedule was so busy. If anything shifted out of place my entire day could be shifted. That was not my jam.

By mid-March 2020, when the world shut down, all my habits went out the door. In an instant habits no longer existed. There was no child care. There were no office hours. We were all home together for an extended period for the first time as a family. My husband and I had work to do, but it felt like summer camp. I would go for walks with the dog and my son between meetings. We would ride bikes, and I'd take meetings from the front porch. Cocktail hour might start mid-afternoon because what did time mean anyway? 

There was a freedom in that lack of structure. For someone who is Type A and habit driven I was forced to adjust. It was healthy for me to reevaluate my life and what I expected from myself both personally and professionally. 

In January of 2021 I went down to part-time at the city and started taking on consulting clients. I would wake up at 5 am to work for a few hours before shepherding my son through virtual kindergarten. We were in Florida for a month, and after school was over we'd spend time in the pool or exploring new playgrounds or parks. 

When we returned to Lansing I fell into a bit of a routine largely driven by the school schedule. My work load was significantly less, and that was disconcerting. In the fall of 2021 my son went to school in person for the first time. I didn't drop him off until around 8:45 in the morning, and it felt very late. I picked him up just before 4 pm, and I realized that while he was gone for much of the day I had about 3 hours less of child free work time than I did before the pandemic. 

Let me be clear: this was by design. I wanted to do pick up and drop off. I was no longer working full time hours most weeks, and I know I'll never get this time back. But it did make me realize how important habits are.

I work from home now, and establishing proper work/home boundaries is important. In the last six months or so I've really struggled with it. I had two contracts that expired in the summer and fall of 2023, and I gratefully went down to two clients (one of which required very few hours). I also spent a big chunk of 2023 working on a passion project that has paid very little yet occupied more time some weeks than my paying clients.

Talking talent attraction at the Capitol...my passion project.

I took the fall of 2023 to regoup and took on two new clients in December. When I started consulting I thought I'd do it for a few years, but I love it. I love choosing the work and projects about which I feel passionate. I love the ebb and flow of the work. I love that I am present for my family and able to balance all the pressures I put on myself (admittedly many of which are a result of my own lofty expectations). 

One thing I've really struggled to build in is networking, and I'm finally getting into that groove. It's easy when one works from home to skip networking events in order to wear comfortable pants. But I'm building in networking events because it's an important habit for a consultant...and a professional human. 

Even better when networking includes a fab group of women,
champagne, and axe throwing.

As we near the end the first month of 2024 I find myself struggling to stick to habits. My son recently switched schools, and his schedule now requires drop off and pick up an hour earlier. As a morning person I love the change, but I am not yet used to it. I find myself okay with fitting in meetings (both in person and virtual), but I am struggling with the things I need to produce. I have spent the last week knowing I need to work on two things for one client and really, really struggling to sit down and do it. I know once I focus on the projects they won't take long, but I don't have the habits in place right now to get it done.

I'll get there. I always do. But even as someone who loves and values habits it can sometimes be a struggle. One of my favorite trainers is fond of saying: "You don't have to be motivated, but you do have to be dedicated." Here's to being dedicated in 2024 even if this wish comes 2/3 of the way into the first month. See? I'll get there.