New Normal ... or No Normal?

Could it be the powerful effects of this week’s super Pink Moon, believed to be a symbol of starting over, that prompted some super strong opinions from readers about physically returning to work?

Like…

“I am so pissed off about having to go back into the office on a regular basis. I know I should feel grateful for even having a job (and I am), but, as an executive assistant, I have proven I can be just as effective working from home. Plus, the amount of time and money I save commuting can be put to much better use. “

Or…

“Before Covid, a major portion of my job required me to travel. We have three kids, and my husband and I thought we had everything under control…until the pandemic forced me to not just work from home, but to stay at home for over a year. Now, after spending so much time together as a family, I see how out of balance my life had become and do not want to return to the way things were.”

And then there was…

The LinkedIn post that went viral, where a bank contractor described his reaction to having a heart attack while working from home. Reflecting on his concern about work during the attack — instead of his family — he wrote that he would restructure his approach to the job because “life is literally too short.”

Let’s face it, as employee and employer alike, we have all been profoundly affected by the pandemic and are forever changed. Just how much and exactly what that looks like is, well, a work in progress. As a society, we are constantly looking for the comfort and security of a new normal; and yet one of my biggest takeaways from the events of the past year is that the new normal is NO NORMAL. One size no longer fits all, and that’s OK.

Several years ago, I realized work was no longer about what I wanted to do, rather how I wanted to feel about what I was doing, and that made a world of difference in helping me move forward. So here’s my advice: Be patient. Take what you have discovered about what’s of value in your life and imagine how you can craft a career, a company, a life that’s meaningful and gratifying.

Optimism for the future is yet another aspect of the Pink Moon…a time when we can expect to achieve goals and fulfill dreams. Yet for this to happen, we need figure out what to let go of in order to move forward with our lives. Yep, we all have some unpacking to do!