Running a Marathon

Remember the month of April 2020? Remember how it felt like everything was new and you were adapting and adjusting while life continued at a blistering pace? Do you feel the fatigue setting in, even as school let out and the new (home) office is getting more comfortable? We left the starting line in a sprint to handle all the emergencies of relocating our people to remote working and our families to the same location as work. In many ways, we are built for that situation…it’s the sprint to get ahead of the pack and set the pace you want to run. It’s the adrenaline rush of solving problems and mitigating damages for your organization. By now, emergencies have mostly subsided. Now, we find ourselves in a sustained state of adaptability and flexibility. This is the phase of the road race where your body shifts from running on adrenaline to fueling through fat and carbohydrate stores. Converting these sources to usable fuel requires more energy–much like developing your adaptability in an ever-changing, but persistent pandemic. So, if you are feeling drained, remember this is a marathon. We are in the middle miles–where the adrenaline from the start has worn off and the excitement of seeing the finish is still far ahead. That means now is the time to find your footing, continue looking to the horizon for your next change, and know you can do this. Schedule your rest periods as diligently as you schedule your meetings. Find new ways of connecting with your team, now more akin to the schedule you kept in January (marathon) and less like weekly happy Zooming (sprint). We are in this together, let’s create ways to share experiences that are the memories of next year. When we do cross the finish line of this marathon, we will feel the connectedness of achievement alongside other racers and that will feel amazing.