Buckling down

It’s going to be a wild 6 weeks to close out the year. I’ve come to terms that this holiday season is going to be extraordinarily difficult for lots individuals.

The country is in COVID hell right now and the “second wave” has arrived in full force. States are all going back to lockdown just in time for the holidays.

It’s crazy to look back and see just how 3 weeks ago feels when San Francisco was opening up offices to non-essential workers, gyms, and indoor dining for everyone.

Sophia has already decided to not fly home and see her parents. I am debating whether even driving across the city to my parent’s home is a good idea for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It probably isn’t… even with a negative test.

I wish COVID was the only source of stress in my life right now. Unfortunately work has also been a killer lately. In many ways, it’s great that we’re busy as a small startup, but the constant grind takes a toll on people and I am no exception.

The toll of long hours wears on you. The thought of a crazy sprint to close out the year is also front and center in my mind. With no end in sight and not much to look forward to with COVID, I’ve been admittedly a little down today and yesterday.

I didn’t feel better until after I was able to sneak off and get a workout in the late afternoon. In a little bit of an odd nostalgic feeling, I felt like I was back in my early to mid 20s again grinding in NYC at PwC.

Back then, a late afternoon/early evening workout was something that I frequently did to break up my long 14+ hour days. I would work nearly a full day, go to the gym, shower, pick up dinner, and start my second work day.

It was a stark reminder of what those days were like and my attitude back then versus now. I was stressed at times, but I almost never really complained. I just knew I had to buckle up, get shit done and get home so I can do it again the next day.

These next couple months are going to be very difficult both from a work and personal level, but we all need to find a way to get through it. Having a negative attitude isn’t going to help me or anybody around me get through this. The one thing we can control is our attitude and approach to this, and I plan on having a much more positive attitude going forward. It’s time to buckle down and get shit done.