RED & BLACK … 2021 – A New Normal

Design by Sawyer Pennington, Underlying photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Red assets.rebelmouse.io

Well, it's a new year but it really doesn't feel much different from last year. Even though there's a vaccine, the coronavirus is still a gray cloud hanging over us. Combine that with resolutions that typically don't last more than a month or so, and it's not a good start to the new year.

Black assets.rebelmouse.io

The new year is a date on the calendar. It would be like saying Wednesday really does not feel any different from Tuesday. It is a mindset and an attitude. And, obviously, yours is focused on the negative – not the positive.

Red assets.rebelmouse.io

I know I should treat the new year as a new beginning. You know, the concept that's the basis of countless articles and news features. But it just seems like an almost impossible task.

Black assets.rebelmouse.io	Speaking of difficult tasks ... how is the new computer? I know that you were dreading having to deal with it. In fact, you fought it until you finally had no choice.
Red assets.rebelmouse.io	I know. But now I love it! It's so fast and much of what I thought was going to be difficult to learn was actually pretty intuitive, even for me. And I know this might sound crazy, but the best part was that since all of my old emails (all 25,000+ of them!) are now archived, opening Outlook every morning's no longer stressful.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	Makes sense. I am almost afraid to ask, but I know you were freaking out that the discontinued version of Franklin Planner software you use for all your "to do" tasks might not transfer. Any luck?
Red assets.rebelmouse.io	Initially, I was freaking out because I had a ton of stuff on it. But then I started preparing for the worst – that everything would be lost – and that's when I realized that I didn't use or need most of it. Although all the old data did end up being lost, the software transferred. Now, I'm only using Franklin Planner for important things or where I need reminders. And I love seeing only a few tasks vs. long lists of things that would make me feel like a failure for not getting through them!
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	So, let me understand. The new computer is like a clean slate. Where you can focus on important things versus agonizing over things that are merely carried over. Is that correct?
Red assets.rebelmouse.io	Exactly! You call it a "clean slate" but I see it as a new start. It's just a coincidence that it happened at the end of the year. Anyway, it's great!
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	OK, so how about taking that same approach to the new year?
Red assets.rebelmouse.io	That's why you changed the subject to my new computer! You tricked me. But I'll forgive you because that's a really interesting way of looking at 2021. But life's not that easy. You can't ignore the past. With my computer I really had no other choice.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	You are not ignoring the past; you are merely putting it in perspective and hitting "reset" before moving forward.
Red assets.rebelmouse.io	A reset … I like that! I know it may just be words, but that just seems so much better than a resolution.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	That may be because a reset allows you to truly start fresh, to focus on what things you want to do or do better. Since you are not overwhelmed with lists and "good intentions" from the past, it is easier to identify what is truly important. Including things that may have gotten "lost" along the way. And, that is before taking into consideration that the pandemic has changed everything.
Red assets.rebelmouse.io	There's an understatement. When I was looking at my old lists it became obvious they were filled with many unimportant tasks. But what was really a wake-up call was realizing how many things that I took for granted – that I just didn't appreciate enough at the time and now miss.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	I think many of us do. It sounds like a cliché but a crisis forces us to think about what is truly important as well as what we take for granted. Often times it is a personal crisis, as you well know, but this happens to be a crisis that is impacting everyone.
Red assets.rebelmouse.io	And almost everyone I've talked to, talks about how it's not only impacted their lives but made them relook at their priorities.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	That is to be expected. But, unfortunately, when a crisis passes, it is easy to fall back into our old ways. Except this crisis has been going on long enough that it is hard to remember what we used to consider "normal" …
Red assets.rebelmouse.io	I know, and that makes me sad.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	I think that is where we started this conversation, with you choosing to look at the negative versus the positive.
Red assets.rebelmouse.io	I'm sorry, but it's not easy to look at what we're all going through as something positive.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	Well, it is not something we would intentionally want to go through, but we are here now. And, 2021 is the start of a new normal.
Red assets.rebelmouse.io	Well, in that case I think we should wish everyone a Happy – and Healthy – New Normal!
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	You just did.

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Black assets.rebelmouse.io	And, as I am a die-hard workaholic that admits to not having a life, you think I have the answer?
Red assets.rebelmouse.io	Excellent point. Never mind.
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Red assets.rebelmouse.io	Where did January go? Every day feels like Groundhog Day, but yet the months are flying by! Our January column was about "resets" instead of resolutions, so maybe we could expand on that and talk about self-improvement.
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	Instead of love, hearts, and Valentine's Day? Works for me.
Red assets.rebelmouse.io	Maybe we can tie the two concepts together – become a better person as a Valentine's Day gift to yourself?
Black assets.rebelmouse.io	Instead of looking at what needs improvement, what about learning to love – and accept – yourself?
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