Hi All!

So, I’ve actually stuck with this blog for a year. Boy, it sure helps when you pay for a domain and don’t want it to go to waste. But really, I’ve enjoyed keeping it up, even if I’m averaging about one post a month. At least I’m consistent, right?

Back in the Days of Yore, the Simpler Times of late November 2019, when I first decided to start this up as a kind-of-side-thing, I had hopes of keeping it up. I initially wanted to post more like once a week rather than once a month, but I was flexible and figured that as long as I’m consistent that I’ll be okay. And I think that’s worked out pretty well for me.

Now, have I been writing about what I thought I’d write about? Kind of. . . ? Not really, though. With starting a new job in late February and then working remotely in mid March up until now, it’s kind of shifted a bit from my initial goal of being more tech heavy to more of reflections of working from home and learning processes. And that’s been okay with me. Here’s my takeaways from the previous year.

Remote Relationships

It’s definitely been a skill to develop working relationships almost purely online (I’m going to count that almost a month of being in person). It was definitely something that I was very suspicious and anxious about starting off. My main takeaway is that you just have to be super super intentional. Intentional with questions, asking for help, initiating chit chat, being intentional with how you show your visible listening cues over online meetings. It’s been a thing, but overall I think a good thing.

Personal relationships have been similar, but we’ve been fortunate to have a pretty good group of pod people to hang out with during this time.

A Slower Pace

This year was not that go go go feeling. Before all the pandemic jolly started, I got frazzled and high strung a lot. I just don’t love being so busy, but it’s kind of what happens when you work full time and have a kid in school and have activities outside of those things. I was so tired all the time. Now there’s a lot of the extra cut out. I do miss aspects of it, but I don’t miss how incredibly exhausted I was all the time. I feel like at work I’ve been just as productive (or more so now that I’ve learned way more of the goings on at work and am no longer a new hire) but without feeling so incredibly wiped. It is just so exhausting to just hit the ground running at 7 am or so and not stop until 9 pm or later. (I know that there are others that have not had this pandemic experience) So being forced to slow down has actually been very good for me and I would like to say my family.

I have also felt like I’ve really been able to enjoy the seasons and weather this year more so than in years past. I was able to walk outside, eat my lunch on the deck, work outside in the nice weather, all things I couldn’t do at the office.

Productivity At Home

I was pretty nervous about how productive I’d be working from home. And honestly, it really hasn’t been bad. I’ve been able to really focus on work for the most part. Of course, there’s been other times where that has not been the case, but it’s definitely not as bad as I thought it would be. I’ve also been able to use my breaks to either do crafting projects or do household chores, so I have definitely doubled up on productivity.

Concluding Thoughts

I like everyone else did not expect 2020 to be a doozy of a year. And I will be the first to admit that overall my family has gotten off pretty easy through this whole thing. While there has been a lot of negative things associated with the year, there have also been a lot of good things too. For every cancelled event, mask drama, election nutsy, killer bees, there is also more time with Brett and Ellie (and Calvin), spending time reading, learning about and making new crafts, and I wouldn’t have that changed.

More next time!

-Rachel