Today marked the end of my thirteenth week of working exclusively from home. Here are my takeaways from week thirteen:

• Reflection – Taking time to reflect and record my thoughts was beneficial. Putting ideas on paper helps me clarify them. And that makes me more comfortable sharing them in conversation.
• Breakthrough – Two people who read one of my posts pointed out a breakthrough I’d made. It hadn’t occurred to me. I realized they were right when I thought about it. Sharing thoughts and being open to feedback can be powerful.
• Focus – The nation is still troubled, but this week was better for me. Not back to normal. Just better. I was able to focus on work. The issues still bother me, but not to the point of paralysis.
• New work normal – Haven’t completely figured this out yet. I did test working from a small private office for a few hours. Mentally, what a huge change! I could concentrate and be more productive. The building was empty and I was alone, so I felt safe. I’d like to do this more often.

Week thirteen was much better than last week. My big takeaway: continue sharing my thoughts and asking for feedback.

I’ll continue to learn from this unique situation, adjust as necessary, and share my experience.