Found your short-shortlist yet?

I have a confession. OK, here goes… My professional and personal life was smoke-and-mirrors. What I project likely gives the impression of an orderly life, a career full of intention, surrounded by loads of family fun. 

It’s a lot of smoke-and-mirrors. It was easy to keep the trickery going, with a busy, busy, busy work and social life. 

But when you strip away the trickery of a busy life, as we are now in this Covid19 era, what is left is the real-real. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m finding that with each passing week, my shortlist is getting shorter.

What I’d deemed important a month ago has vanished into the detritus of my inbox. I may get to it later or I may decide to delete, delete, delete. 

In Arianna Huffington’s Weekly Thoughts Newsletter she writes, “We have all now been forced to pause. And during this pause, we are discovering that certain parts of life were not as essential as we thought — and just as important, rediscovering certain essential parts we had forgotten.”

What’s made your short-shortlist? And what is in the virtual trashcan?

I’ve also heard from many of you that your inner circle has also gotten smaller. When we’re all told to stay home, it’s curious to observe who we’ve called, texted or Zoomed. It’s even more curious to observe who’s called, texted or Zoomed us. 

I have always valued authentic connections over dozens of transactions. But now with the haze over LA and the smoke and mirrors of my life cleared, I can see who’s still there. 

Has your inner circle “table of 12” become a more intimate dinner for 8, 6 or even 4?

For sure there may be come grieving that comes along with the clarity we now have. Be angry for a bit. Be sad. 

But know that on the other side is a gorgeous short-shortlist that can give us more focus, a clearer sense of purpose and (gasp!) more time to pursue the wish list items. Even for a pandemic-schooling-working-mom-strategic-consultant, I’m writing and reading more. Who knew?

That said, there is no Instagram filter that will make the art-project-math-work-yesterday’s-dishes dining table tableau of my life look pretty. But really? Who cares.