Return at end of day

For many people work is different now than it was 18 months ago. Businesses have changed their processes and systems to increase safety and decrease proximity. People are talking to each other through perspex screens over counters, and through glass computer screens for meetings. The bedroom and home office desks of the world have never before received so much attention.

I imagine that many hastily constructed work practices have been built to survive the sudden change in working environment. For example schools in NSW found out during the Winter holiday that they would be working remotely from the first two weeks of Term 3. Plans were made and processes were set up. Now as week 7 begins, those two week plans feel in someways quite inappropriate for continuous use. ​

The $10 creaky office chair I push up to a polished hall table my grandparents used to keep family photos on, doesn’t really seem like a great working set up anymore. My wife has a set of noise-cancelling headphones the university has for occasional use - they are to be returned at the end of each day. That was 18 months ago.  


Short term systems in long term use. 
 
I wonder how many other ideas, systems and habits we have as people that were developed as a short term solution, that were are walking around with years later? 

If we build an immediate solution to a problem, then continue to apply that solution repeatedly there is a chance that at some point it is no longer the best set up. My friend blew out his cleat at Frisbee training one night. We taped it up with strapping tape so he could complete the session. Weeks later when we were putting the third layer of tape on, the solution was no longer the best option.  

It seems like to survive obstacles people develop wonderful creative ways of thinking about those challenges. To chase success people build habits that move them forwards. There is a chance though that we’ve surrounded ourselves with solutions that are actually not the best way to go. 

What are the ideas and behaviours that you’ve got in your life that you could probably return at the end of today?