Curating your life in the time of COVID-19

My book, Curating Your Life, was published on April 8. News flash – the middle of a pandemic is not the best time to launch a book! But there’s also some good news. Although I wrote the book long before anyone had heard of COVID-19, it turns out that learning how to manage your energy for peak productivity is a highly relevant topic in this challenging time. As a result, I’m getting plenty of opportunities to write and speak about the book, including a recent “Coffee and Connect” session for the Executives’ Club of Chicago. 

We talked about how the demands on our energy have changed. Some of the tasks that used to exhaust us – commuting, hosting big meetings, going to networking events – are no longer such a big part of our lives. At the same time, other demands have ramped up – learning new technologies, connecting through Zoom and other media, doing our own housework, cooking all the meals and spending much more time with family members. The specifics vary from person to person, but the challenge is the same – how do we manage our energy for peak productivity and joy during this strange time?

Life curation right now has two stages. The first is figuring out how to navigate in the short term. What does my “exhibit” need to look like right now? And at the same time, many people are starting to think about the “next normal.” When the gates open up and we can go back into the big, beautiful world, do I want my life to look exactly the way it did before? Or during this time of increased isolation, am I learning things about myself that will lead me to curate differently in the coming months and years?

If you’d like to know more about curating your life, now and in the future, you can find the book here.  And if you’d like to connect with me about curation, give me a shout at ggolden@gailgoldenconsulting.com.