New Habits Are Forming…

I am not sure about you, but for me the days and the weeks are running together. I have a million ideas for weekly blog posts, and there are notes to remind me of them all over my house…”write this,” and “think about that.” But truth be told, I am finding it hard to find the time to actually sit down and write a piece. 

My editor is a no-excuses type of person. I would call her relentless. Sure she is nice, and she says the right things, like, “Hey, did you send that blog? I must have misplaced it.” Or, “Did you see this article? Maybe it would be a good blog.” But by Wednesday she is like, “Where the H#$@ is it?”  

Honestly though, she is super helpful and a great partner. She makes me better at what I do and I would not be this far on this endeavor without her, so THANKS! 

So given this new challenge of finding time to write, I decided this week to keep it short, and bullet my thoughts and ideas for all to see.

If you’re reading this, one of two things happened: either my editor ran out of time or she actually liked it!  Fingers crossed.

So here we go with the new writing style and a new habit: video conferencing.

• Another week of social distancing and remote work.  
• Already new habits are forming.  
• I no longer say “Call me.” I say “Let’s do a Zoom, FaceTime, or Webex.”  
• My preference is to see the person I am talking with, not just hear them.  
• Is video chatting my new normal?  
• I thought video chat was something for my kids.
• Boy, was I wrong. It is fun.  
• AND for me it is a deeper sense of connection.
• A connection I feel I am missing in this new normal.  
• Sure when the opportunity presents itself post pandemic, I will go and actually see someone in person other than my immediate family.  
• In the meantime, I have learned that video is a pretty effective form of connection, not just with family and friends, but with teammates, prospects and clients, too.  
• It is not just good enough. It is good. 
• It comes with some side benefits as well.
• It really is a judgement-free zone.
• People are more relaxed. They don’t roll their eyes if the dog barks.
• They get to see your human side.  
• Things like bed head if you forget your hat. Your parenting skills:  “Not now, I am on a video conference, go play a video game.”
• It is effective.  
• It will be part of my new normal.
• It is a new habit for me and one I plan to keep.
• If you have not tried it yet…go ahead and hit that camera bottom. I think you will be surprised.

So, what habits are you forming in this new normal?

Editor’s note: Lucky for Al, he is not the only one short on time this week. We’ll discuss this in our next meeting — FACE TO FACE!