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Looking into the void
Today is one of the strangest days of my life. I woke up and I have no scheduled work … for months. I am looking at an empty void in my schedule, perhaps for the first time since I was 15 years old.
As a speaker, consultant, and educator, I knew I was vulnerable to a recession and I’m prepared. But I could have never imagined — even in a recession — that ALL of my work, speaking, and even university teaching could be canceled for months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
I even had to cancel my May marketing Uprising retreat, which was a punch to the gut because it is my favorite thing to do.
For some perspective on the pace of my life, I never put my suitcase away. My career is so busy, I simply leave it out and re-load it every week. This morning, I put my suitcase away. And I don’t know when it will come back out.
That is more than symbolic. It is significant.
I’m realizing that the psychological and emotional challenges of this impending isolation will be as great, or greater, than the financial burdens.
What happens when you suddenly and dramatically look into a long, dark, extended void in your professional life?
