Run Smarter

Recently, I found myself thinking about our lives before the pandemic. What was a typical day like? Reflecting back on those times, I kept veering to the word ‘running’!

For so many of us working adults, most days were packed with early morning breakfasts, preparing lunch boxes, and rushing to work. For those of us with children, it was additionally about school drop-offs and pick-ups and scooting kids to their hobby classes. Somewhere in between all this, we tried to somehow finish our work tasks and home chores. Before we knew it, it was bed time. We’d repeat the entire drill the next day, and on all the days that followed!

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our lives and lifestyles completely, putting a screeching halt to the uncontrollable speed that we were trying to steer our lives at. Our survival instincts were tested but we all managed to get back on track fairly well in a matter of 16-odd months, of course stumbling our way up and leaning on each other for support. Everyone, adults and children alike, showed tremendous resilience and adapted to the pandemic in their own ways.

With the pandemic forcing us to stay indoors and within our confined spaces, I wonder if our days have really changed all that much. Listening to others about their routines during the pandemic, I’m forced to ask this question again - did the pandemic really change our daily routines and lives? Did it transform our days for the better or for worse?

In the pandemic, we did not run across home, office, schools, and other places. But we still ran, albeit within our own homes – from room to room. We also ran across the rooms of our minds – getting exhausted mentally and emotionally - trying to accomplish everything and more in a single day! Even in the comfort of our own homes, we kept running nevertheless!

We mastered the art of ‘running’ in the pandemic. On most days, we reached the finish line and achieved our daily goals with flying colours. We soon got ready to run the race again the next day.

In our endeavour to do more and accomplish more, or simply trying to wrap up those ever-increasing task lists, did we remember to smile and laugh or hug our loved ones? Did we notice something new and colourful in the garden? Did we call on a long-lost friend or family member to see how they are doing?

Are were so busy running from ‘place to place’, day to day, task to task, that those who really matter to us merely become a beautiful blur, slowly fading away!

Have we understood what we’re running after and why, day after day?

We all will have chores to do, work to complete, families to look after and dreams to chase. Some days will be busier and crazier than others, and we can’t run away from those.

As we settle into the next normal, let’s put on our running shoes again - home shoes, work shoes, parent shoes and other kinds that we may have. But this time, let’s remember to change the way we run in those shoes.

Let’s “run smarter!”

It’s simply how we manage ourselves daily and enjoy precious moments along the way!

Let’s keep running towards our goals and dreams, and this time around, take the time to stretch a little, jump and dance a little, smile and thank some more and love and hug a lot more.

Let’s remember to savor, appreciate and treasure this run of our lives!