The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally upended the way things are supposed to be. On a global scale, it’s impacted every continent and every community. It’s also set fire to our personal stories — the way we thought things would individually unfold for us. The stories of what we’re supposed to do, get, be, how fast, when, and in comparison to what. None of these stories will go back exactly to the way they were before.
We All Know the Old Normal Was Broken
Personal stories differ, but let’s take a stab at some that might come to mind: The sense of never good enough. The question of where I’d expected myself to be by now. The belief that I’m too much of this or too little of that. Comparison and FOMO. Scattered priorities. Rejection of opportunity costs. Style over substance. Messaging around innovation tied to a bias for the status quo. The unwritten rules of what is acceptable.
If our old stories are on fire and the old normal was broken, this naturally poses questions: What possibilities can we create? What can we aspire to? What new stories do we want to craft? Who will we be on the other side of the pandemic?
Read the rest over at Everyday Disruption on Medium, to find out how my writing partner and I are re-designing our ideas of value and what we want to stand for.
Get the Design Your New Story companion workbook here.