For a few moments, reflect on the first few days when things were different. Mid-March 2020 seems so far away right now, doesn’t it? Since then, we have been asked to think AND do different, at work and in life.
For those of us reading this who did not have a “work-at-home” job, we either are experiencing a new normal, or we know someone who is. In my book, “Your Best Just Got Better,” I wrote that managing time is really about managing expectations. Consider this: What we accept is what we will expect. Over the last few months, you’ve grown to assume things are now a certain way. As you move into the next year, think about what you have accepted that might impact what you will expect; and how what you expect is becoming more (or less) acceptable.
One thing I do know: When things around me change, so do I.
We tend to do what we’ve always done, how we’ve always done it, even in the same order we’ve done it in. The way I learned it, it could be called homeostasis. We seek familiarity, and we love routines. And when what used to look different is now standard, we will conform and form habits that maintain an equilibrium, a balance between what we anticipate and what we allow to feel “normal.”
Here’s a simple way to experience homeostasis in action: While you’re reading this, simply fold your arms over your chest. Notice which wrist is higher/outside/on top—we’ll call that “the outside arm.” Now, that’s normal, right? I mean, if you find yourself waiting for someone, or you sit back in your chair and start thinking, and fold your arms over your chest, then that is how you’d do it. OK, so you know what normal is, let’s do a quick experiment…
Next, stretch your hands out again, and fold your arms over your chest, only this time, do it so the other wrist is on top! It feels weird to do it the opposite way, doesn’t it? Most of my seminar participants say, “It’s not normal.”
Homeostasis is defined as “the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements.” During the workday, we tend to do what we’ve always done. Now that you know it, your commute seems familiar. If you’ve been working with your colleagues long enough, you know what to expect (most of the time!). When you have an open block of time (think about what you do when a meeting gets canceled!), you tend to fill it back up with something…another meeting, organizing your space, or getting a quick meal (all of which are important!).
We are entering a new year that will simultaneously look similar and different from the last one for many of us. Take time to reflect on what you have changed over the last few months and what you want to change as you move forward. Make different look like normal.
Jason W. Womack (www.WomackCompany.com) is an author, TEDx speaker, and leadership coach working with organizations as they re-imagine not just how people work together, but the way colleagues both take care of AND challenge each other. His programs help people stress less, focus more, and achieve greater levels of success…as defined by each individual who contributes to the organizational mission. His books can be found at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jason-W.-Womack/e/B005N3257A
