The past 3 weeks have reminded me of when my son, Gil was born. Becoming a Mom for the first time brought all kinds of new challenges, on-demand learning of new skills, and game-time decisions.
When I became a Mom, I no longer had control of when I ate, how much I slept or when I would be able to exercise, leave the house or even take a shower.
Everything was dependent upon the unpredictability of my newborn baby.
Today, our lives as we knew them, have been abruptly turned upside down. We are forced to adapt to a new way of life, one that will be for the foreseeable future.
We’re learning how to live with each other 24/7, how to home-school our children, how to work differently, how to connect, nurture and maintain family relationships and friendships virtually.
One thing I know for sure, it’s hard. It’s hard to let go of control. It’s hard to let go of the way we used to do things. It’s hard to think about doing things differently. Not knowing what’s ahead of us is scary.
Here’s what I’ve learned about adapting to change like the one we’re navigating now,
Stop putting pressure on yourself. The landscape is different. This is not business as usual. Rather than to continue to do what you’ve always done, take a step back, and think about how things can or should be done differently to continue to move forward.
Fall forward. When you’re in the midst of learning something new, you will fall, and you will make mistakes. Don’t let your fear stop you from getting in there and figuring out how to make it work. It’ll get messy but that’s part of the fun.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable. When things are uncomfortable we’ll wiggle and worm and do anything to avoid it. Resist. Resist the urge to run away. Lean into it. It’s the only way to get to the other side.
Look for the opportunity. This has been the focus of at least 3 conversations I had this week. We can allow ourselves to be consumed with the news and overwhelmed with worry or we can look for the opportunity to change the way we think, act and behave.
Even after things “normalized” when my son was born, life as I knew it, was never the same. It was different. In those early days, I struggled to adapt to my new life as a Mom. Today, I can’t imagine my life without him.
Being a Mom and enduring those early days, contributed to my own personal growth. It helped me be a more patient person and gave me a new perspective, appreciation, and gratitude.
Every hard thing I’ve ever done made me a better, stronger, more resilient, and more resourceful person. This is no different, for me or for you. You’ve got this.
Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash
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