A Short Note Regarding the Effects of The Pandemic on Productivity

It’s been about eight months since the start of the pandemic, but if I’m being honest, the end of March feels more like it was 10,000 years ago.

Everything was so idyllic at the beginning. Everyone was sharing banana bread recipes, making the TikTok whipped coffee, and watching Tiger King. I had many peers declare that they were taking up roller skating, learning a new language, or honing their cooking abilities. It seemed like we had so much time that we couldn’t possibly remain idle for that long. The possibilities were endless without our normal responsibilities of school or work weighing us down.

So… What happened?

Here we are, months later, and while some of us did manage to accomplish our goals, a vast majority of us did not.

Why? The answer is simple and rather unfortunate:

Burnout.

It’s a test of endurance, not a sprint, but I think that for a lot of people, a sprint was the only thing it appeared to be. As a result, we started incredibly strong but finished with barely anything to show for it.

When I was sent home from school, it was just after my twenty-first birthday. I had made a commitment to myself that with all this newfound free time, I’d be able to read a book a week.

I’m sure you can guess how that one went.

With the constant awareness of others’ successes on social media, it can be hard to keep up with our personal goals. Not everyone moves at the same pace, and seeing others so far ahead can seem daunting. We just have to remember that we’re not all running the same race.

What’s next?

We move forward.

I didn’t manage to read a book a week, but I have read some truly amazing things since the beginning of the pandemic and I can’t wait to share them with you.

See you soon :)

Kendall