Lately I’ve noticed many friends making big life changes. They’re making decisions to change course or to re-prioritize what they care about. It’s not an age thing or a gender thing. It’s happening with friends of all different ages and of both genders. I can’t help but wonder what is behind it all.
Possibly the pandemic has affected them. Even if we have luckily escaped catching COVID, the virus has impacted everyone’s way of life. I guess self-assessment is a natural fallout from the impacts COVID. Whether we liked it or not, we have all been forced to slow down. Getting things done hasn’t been as easy. So prioritization is a common outcome. I recently read an article by Darius Foroux that made these changes make sense. Darius points out that folks should be asking themselves one simple question; I realize my friends who are making these changes did ask themselves (consciously or unconsciously) this question as well:
“Will this bring me closer to my current top priorities?”
All my friends and acquaintances clearly examined where they are in the present. And those that needed the change took some bold action. I’ve had friends choose to change where they live. Other friends changed how and where they spend their leisure time. Almost all changed how they manage money. Many have changed how they do their work. And even more have changed what kind of work they actually do.
Watching my friends change professions has been fascinating because they are like butterflies coming out of the cocoon. Changing jobs has given them a sense of energy to learn new things. The magic of the changes opened their eyes to new possibilities.
We always hope for some good to come out of a tragedy, such as the pandemic. No matter what, we always come out of it wiser. In the past 18 months, so many friends have managed to find a way to align their activities and work with their priorities. I see the number of new business starts soaring. I’m thrilled that a new business will fulfill the owners’ newly aligned life priorities. And we as a community will no doubt benefit in multiple ways from their actions.
Jodi Henson is a business consultant, author, entrepreneur and founder of The Softer Side of Success (www.thesoftersideofsuccess.com). She works with prospective and existing small business owners to help them overcome challenges and attain their goals. Jodi lives in NE Florida with her husband. You can contact her at jodi@thesoftersideofsuccess.com.