The Little Things Are Big

Are you noticing perspectives change during this time of pandemic? “How are you?” takes on a different meaning. We now end our emails with “Stay safe,” acknowledging the crisis we all are struggling with.  Among these shifts, I notice how important some small things in life, which I may have overlooked previously, become big.

When self-quarantined last week after exposure to a friend who was tested for the virus (it finally came back negative), I was tucked into the small den at the back of the house. One bright spot in this arrangement was access to the rear garden. Looking out the window one morning, I spotted a chickadee with a beak full of nesting materials dive into our new birdhouse. Our first tenants! The little chickadee, blissfully unaware of the pandemic, focused on preparing a nest for their future chicks. In “normal” busy life, I would not take time to gaze out the window. In my one-room state, seeing a tiny creature share this world gave me great joy and a reason to celebrate.

Leaders I work with are adjusting to their new limitations, too. Offices they worked in and moved around in shrank to the size of a Zoom screen. Projects may not make it to completion or receive the attention they deserve in this virtual world. Goals set earlier in the year may not be met.

I encourage you to take some time and to redefine success, pertaining both to work and to home, and when you see success, celebrate it. Did someone get a project as far as it could go in this environment? Did someone on your team show strong leadership? Was there a challenge someone stepped up to? Did your middle-schooler get their homework done on time?  In “normal” times perhaps these behaviors are seen as business as usual. Working long hours, learning new ways to collaborate with colleagues, many of us parenting at the same time, all the while dealing with financial and health concerns - nothing is “business as usual.” “Wins” do not look like they used to in our new “business as unusual” state.

Keep an eye out for “wins” in the current environment. Whether effort and resilience on the part of others (or yourself!) or a nesting chickadee, celebrate the new big things.