It’s dark and rainy here in the north. This is perfect weather for enjoying some football or possibly some old classic horror movies. October always starts out cold and spooky – perfect for reading, listening to late-night radio or podcasts nowadays. The news is getting progressively weirder, now we just saw the US President leave the hospital and waive to his supporters as he passed by. It shouldn’t be long before the fake news media spins a tale on this development. Who really cares anymore? The news is now more creative theater than responsible reporting. This is why I think more people are seeking out other forms of entertainment and focusing more on their own immediate circumstances. For me, I tend to focus on working.
I like to work on my own projects, get things ready for winter and then relax by watching old movies. Who needs the constant drama that may or may not be worth the stress to get drawn into? The President got sick, was treated, and now he moves on to the election. For my part, I wish him well and plan on voting for the candidate of my choice – I disregard the garbage the media pumps out 24/7. I think I’m educated enough to make my own decisions on who I think would be the best leader of this country. Hopefully, most people will make the decision that best aligns with their values and their own views. (Not what someone on TV wants you to think)
The pandemic is a problem. It affects almost everyone one way or another, because of this we all must factor in how we will navigate daily life now and in the near future. A lot of things have changed as far as what we can do, and what we can’t. Daily life has been changed and it may take a long time for things to steady out into some form of normality. It’s changed all over the world, and there could be other issues that come along to make this problem seem less significant. (war, the economy, and natural disasters come to mind)
Working from remote locations, out on the road, or from our homes may be the way many of us go forward for the long term as opposed to the immediate short term. This could really change the talent pool. If you can work from anywhere and not deal with extremely expensive costs to live near your work headquarters, then companies can broaden their recruitment variables. Living close to or in a major city is no longer an advantage.
There will always be the need for someone on the ground to do maintenance, installations, and repair work, but even this could be a broader area of responsibility for some workers. This options in the mobile workforce philosophy. I seem to have been preparing for this for a long time. I have all my own tools, my own workshop, vehicle, and computers. I’ve learned over the years how to get the most out of every tool I have. Do more with less has been my own philosophy for a long time. I try to get the most out of everything I have. Now many workers are finding themselves in situations that make this way of thinking more of a necessity than a convenience. I’ve gotten used to working long hours and working alone where the only support I can rely on is my own.
This may not be the best fit for everyone, but it works for me. If you want to be good at something you have to be willing to put in the effort and the long hours. You have to learn from any mistakes you make and improve upon everything you do. Always try to be a little better at what you do every day. You also have to learn from others – especially their mistakes. This may be the future of how many of us survive these trying times.
I’m not a big fan of the latest Windows OS, but I have to use it, therefore I have to learn as much about it as I can. You don’t fight it too much because there are many people who rely on this operating system. Some people love Windows and get a lot of work done using it. I prefer to work with Linux systems because I think it makes the most sense to me even though others may disagree, but the reality is that I can get a lot more productivity out of a Macbook Pro. This may not have been something I had originally planned on doing, but things change, and often the most logical choices are the best choices. (and unfortunately often the most expensive)
If you think we are all in this together, you are wrong. Some of us are in this, and some are not. Life will still be a struggle for many people, and life will still be much easier for others. That never changes – so what? Worry about yourself and your families. Focus on the people that are important to you, but still try to be a good role model and a good citizen. Who knows what the future holds for any of us. Remember that not everything you hear is true, or actually matters. It’s tough enough getting through the day without getting wound up for other people’s agendas. Remember there is no free ride, so don’t waste your time worrying about what someone else can do for you. Sometimes you need to do things for yourself and help others if you can. If people can work together for a noble cause – great. If the cause is destructive then it probably isn’t worth your time. Use your head, think about what you need to do to be truly successful – this may not always equate to monetary gain, but if you know you’ve put your best effort into doing something well then it’s much easier to deal with than if you know you didn’t do your best, ……….then move on to the next challenge. Now every day can be another challenge. Just take it one day at a time.