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If you've caught the news recently, you likely heard the term "The Great Resignation" of 2021. (For the benefit of those who haven't heard of it, The Great Resignation is a term coined to identify the staggering number of employees worldwide resigning from their jobs in 2021.)

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Every year, on the last weekend of August, one of the largest art festivals in the US comes to my city. After the surrounding streets are blocked, I love watching the artists set up their booths.

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Monotony has set in, and I need to do something about it. How about you?
 
I believe monotony is the reason why, for several months now, I've had the urge to rearrange my office. The world's COVID-19 roller coaster has taken a toll on our collective mental and emotional well-being. For many of us, concerns for our health or the health of loved ones, the sudden shift to remote work, and the resulting feelings of isolation continue to leave us feeling unsettled.

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Is there anything that brings you so much joy you have to drop what you're doing to savor the moment?
 
As I worked from home a few days ago, three feet away, the window was wide open, allowing me to enjoy the cool morning air before Chicagoland temps reached far into the '80s.

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If you or someone you know feels overwhelmed, raise your hand.
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There are a lot of us raising our hands! A Harvard Business Review article supports this, stating most of us feel constantly overwhelmed with the demands, increasing complexity, and frantic pace of work. On top of that, we also have personal and family commitments. The toll this takes on us emotionally, not to mention the hit to our productivity and relationships, is staggering. We're paying the price with our mental health, our self-esteem, and shrinking downtime.

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For years, I wanted to start a handwritten gratitude journal. But, the blank page of a journal staring back at me was always so intimidating. I felt this incredible pressure to have something profound to say, or it wasn't worth commemorating. Not to mention the intensity of finding something to write about every single day, or there would be a gaping void to remind me of my failure as a journaler. I also thought, who will have the slightest interest in my thoughts in the future?

How many of us blame ourselves for our lack of productivity and feelings of overwhelm? I'm not talking about the times we know it's our fault because we didn't put in a sincere effort. (And we know darn well when we didn't!) I'm talking about the times we genuinely tried, but things still didn't turn out as we expected.
 

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It seems like January 1st gets all the glory. We throw big parties, when we aren't in the middle of a pandemic at least, and many of us delay working on our goals so we can call them our new year's resolutions.

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Have you ever worked toward a goal, only to give it up at the first hint of a challenge or hiccup? Have you bypassed opportunities because you were fearful you would fail? Call it self-preservation. Call it a coping mechanism. No matter what you call it, it could be holding you back.

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I love what I do as a Productivity Consultant and Coach, and as a Human Resources Professional. Having two rewarding careers is more than many people ever experience.
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However, as one who wants to be sure the people I serve are taken care of, I sometimes don't know when to shut down, or I feel I can't shut down from work.​

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We check social media while we watch television. We read emails while on video calls. We text while we drive. The common term for this is multitasking, but the label is inaccurate.

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​Happily ever after. That's how the best fairy tales end, isn't it?

We all live the fairy tale when we accomplish a goal and get that euphoric sense of accomplishment. We worked hard, conquered the problem, now it's time to move on. But that's where the fairy tale ends, and we return to our real life, already in progress. The problem? Most adventures don't have an "ever after" solution. There is no "done."

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​For many who work in a traditional corporate office, coronavirus has created a new norm – 100% remote work.  Sometimes there are two members of the household trying to work remotely, now with school-aged children home all day.

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​​The world is unsettled. As I write this, Illinois is ending its first full day of "shelter in place" to limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). For the same reason, other parts of the US and the world have been under similar instruction.

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​We're often asked, "What are you grateful for?" particularly around the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States. Our answer to this “pop” question is typically honest and straightforward - family, friends, and health. But, how can giving even deeper thought to your response help your productivity?