The 5 Things I Take for Granted

I’m in week 52 of lockdown, well not really, but in my mind it’s possible! I think it’s week 5 for me and to say I’m beginning to go a bit stir crazy is an understatement. For anyone who know me, I run at a million miles per hour every day, every minute is accounted for. I have started to realise that there are many things which I usually take for granted and I hope to appreciate more when we come out the other side of this. Here’s my top 5:

1. Potatoes – I know it’s a strange one to start with, but I have never valued the basic potato quite so much before, I felt such happiness when I found that we had ordered an extra bag this week! They have versatility and I’ve found a creativity in the kitchen which I usually don’t have time for, but I will be making more time for this in the future.

2. Being a taxi service (for my kids) – I moan (a lot!) about the school run and all of the activities I have to drive my teen and pre-teen to but the enrichment of the sports and dance they do and the mental release they get from these are so important, I didn’t realise quite how much until now. We have always called our teen, The Duracell Bunny since he has always felt the need to run, and although we are lucky to have a garden, he needs the physical contact and competitive nature of playing sports with his peers. I have also found that daily exercise is an essential part of my mental relaxation which I didn’t believe in before.

3. Choice – this is an interesting one, whilst we all like the freedom of choice, I’m enjoying the simplicity that reduced choice is bringing. I’m finding I’m much more imaginative, open-minded and adaptable. My pre-teen wanted some new shorts over the weekend after we tidied out her wardrobes, we couldn’t pop to the shops so we chopped up some old jeans, added some trimmings and she now has her own designer pair. No choice, no cost and a quick fix.

4. My family – our days are longer, we have no commute, no packed lunches to make, we can get up slightly later but still fit in our work, schoolwork and general tasks around the house. This means we have time for a game of cricket in the garden, a walk around the block, family TV evenings, we have grown even closer which I didn’t think was possible. I will miss the time we have together when we all resume our individual routines but hope to weave some of these aspects into our week. I can’t see the wider family which has been really difficult for me, although we have every version of technology set up, I can’t wait to be able to see them in person soon.

5. People & Communication – I know an obvious one, but it’s sits at the very the core of me, my business and career. I have never thought about how many interactions I usually have on a day to day basis, but I know it’s a high number. I’m grateful to be able to still help people in some way through this time but I do miss the diversity of conversations. I’m fascinated by people; I always want to know people’s stories and what makes them tick. I’ve definitely seen a deeper, more emotional side to most people during this time and it’s made me less cynical which is a real positive for me for the future.

Time is the key, it’s the thread which links each of my 5 points, it’s only when I was proof reading the blog that I noticed this, and it is the most precious commodity we have. Lockdown has taught me one valuable point; I now have some strategies as to how I can make more time for the important things in life, maybe I'll find enough time to create my top 5 potato recipes!