It is impossible not to think of a world pause followed by a full stop, reset and re-start in the year 2020. For some, one of the worst years yet; for others an opportunity to show self-reliance and perseverance. Whichever the case may be, the year 2020 will be one for the books. A year that showed us the world’s “true colors”. This may sound vague or almost pessimistic, but it’s definitely not meant to be in that way.
We’ve seen people within their communities rally and help those affected the most by the pandemic – organizing food drives, making clothing donations, and adoptions at pet shelters skyrocketed. And this was most definitely NOT a localized occurrence. The good across the world is still trying to balance the crisis this pandemic has created.
There’s no doubt our lives have changed forever.
Most companies switched gears to have their employees work remotely; and suddenly, desks and office furniture, in general, was out of stock in most places! (I personally had a hard time trying to get a small desk to create a small office space at home).
Before I started writing this blog, I read an article in CNN’s Business section where they mentioned Airstream, the trailer company, has added a small office space area in their 30-foot trailers, a move that definitely signifies there’s been a drastic shift in how we see work unfold.
This also shows a dramatic change in what the future may hold…. No more big buildings filled with offices and cubicles? I guess only time will tell, but for now, as long as there is productivity from anywhere then the physical location may not matter anymore.
What does this mean for retirement? Or working from any place in the world?
There are many questions in the air and only time will tell.
How has this pandemic year looked for BCC Live?
Well, luckily for us, BCC Live had always implemented systems which had been designed for us to be able to work remotely from time to time; however, I’m sure it’s safe to say like every other company in the world, there was an adjustment period for all of us especially because a lot of our work requires travel and all of that came to a screeching halt.
There was a lot of uncertainty and re-scheduling, and in the end, we all stayed put and found a balance working from home.
We also fed squirrels and started spending even more time with our pets. I’m sure they’ve loved every day of us not leaving the house.
We even made a video showcasing our pups:
The whole year felt like a sort of Groundhog Day. No racing or races in sight, no travelling, no vacations… disinfecting and wearing masks became the norm. Just like that, we all started re-adjusting to this “new normal”. No hugging, keep your distance, disinfect, wear your mask in public, don’t gather, repeat.
For me in particular, it was definitely uncharted territory as the newbie of the group. For the past year I’ve been part of the team (mostly) remotely with a few instances where we got to work some live broadcasting events and the one IRONMAN event in Florida in November.
Besides that, we got to ride our gravel bikes outdoors when the weather was nice, and of course, we did the most epic group ride going up to Mount Evans (and it was such an adventure it has its own blog which you can find in our website as well).
I’m sure many people who started new jobs before the pandemic can somehow relate to what I’m talking about. The dynamics of work have shifted for all of us, as evidenced worldwide, and some days not really knowing all the parts of the operations can make you feel like you could be left behind the times.
We worked on an event for the Colorado Technology Association at the beginning of the year and got to meet and interview several CEOs and influential people in the Colorado community; and that was a topic that kept coming up. New employees having to navigate a completely remote environment without having met their coworkers within a new work environment. Very interesting times indeed.
I’ve been very lucky the BCC team is simply put, fantastic. Ryan basically took me under his wing and taught me the ropes and how things got done around BCC. Still to this day, he proves most patient as I navigate new waters and learning new skills for the job.
So, thanks Ryan! I’m happy to call you my work bud. Your work ethic is bar none!
Shout out here to the rest of this amazing team:
Dylan, you will always be a prodigy in my eyes. Smart beyond your years!
Marcus, your zest for life and good energy is contagious. I enjoy learning from you so much!
Mel, I’m glad I get to call you my boss lady. I’m always impressed by your skills and resourcefulness. You’re a force of nature!
Dave, thank you for all the opportunities to continue to learn and grow as a professional within the company. Not everyone gets those chances and I sure appreciate mine. You’re a good boss!
What has been your experience during the pandemic? Is there something you have learned? A new skill or something about yourself you didn’t know before?
This past year has been an eye-opening one, in many aspects of our lives.
I personally have learned quite a few new skills I don’t think I would have before the pandemic, simply because I didn’t need them before. However, with that said, those newly acquired skills have been great to pick up on and I keep learning every day. I love editing videos and showcasing creativity that way. I’m also studying to get my FAA license as a drone pilot, which is fueled by my childhood dream of becoming a fighter jet pilot (my favorite plane was the F-16, and later on the good old SR-71 “Blackbird”).
I have also learned more time management, it may sound simplistic, but being home all day, I had to re-think how my time would be allocated so I could fulfill my job duties and also spend quality time with my family and quality time for myself (aka training). So I wake up at 5am every day to get my training done then have breakfast at 7am with my family and by 8am, I’m ready to shift gears and “get to work” (basically, going downstairs to my little office desk), after the work day is done, I unwind with a nice walk or just some TV.
It took me such a long time to be disciplined about my time, and thanks to the pandemic, I’ve finally achieved my goal! So there’s been more than one silver lining.
Here’s my personal takeaway from a pandemic that still lingers:
- It’s never too late to learn new things. Learning may even give you a whole new career!
- Keep reading books! Books are the ultimate departure to fantasy or more knowledge. On my nightstand right now, Atomic Habits by James Clear. A must read, especially during these times, I think it would be far too easy to let everything go sideways “because of the pandemic” and instead we must remain focused and disciplined in any habits we choose to have.
- Call your family, and your friends, stay in touch! We still don’t know what kind of long-lasting damage the pandemic will have on our social interactions and the way we connect with the world. Human touch has essentially been removed from the equation and I think people have been affected by this (disclaimer: I’m much like Seinfeld when it comes to this, but hugs… I miss hugging my friends and family).
- Life is fragile. We must enjoy every day as today is really all we have.
- Plant a garden once the weather gets nice. It’s great to eat your own produce!
- Ride your bike. When in doubt, ride some more!
At some point, we will get back to “normal” but that old normal from 2020 may look very different to what normal could be in 2021 and beyond.
Stay healthy everybody!
