Also known as – “What to do when it’s impossible to focus during a pandemic and civil rights movement.”

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2020 is not going to plan.

Last year I started mapping the next three years of my life. I wanted to apply to business school, so to prepare, I applied to the Forte MBALaunch program. I was accepted and enrolled in an awesome network for navigating the application process. I was going to take the GMAT and try to get promoted. It was a neat, linear plan—all I had to do was execute.

January. My team launched the most extensive rebrand in our company’s history, and we were all ecstatic with unveiling our work and its reception. I set my goals for promotion and booked the GMAT for mid-spring.

We all know what happened next. 

Suddenly, I was self-isolated in my 850-square-feet apartment with an ever-changing exam date and more work than ever. My team focuses on digital marketing, so we became some of the most in-demand people in the company. Fortunately, we’ve now pivoted our marketing materials, client engagement, and workflows to be completely digital. Unfortunately, my professional development plan went out the window.

I needed to re-work the planning that took me a year to construct, and I’ve struggled to feel motivated.

That said, I’ve also realized it’s okay to feel lost and overwhelmed–and important to take time to reset. For me, that means rearranging my game plan. My original timeline wasn’t going to work, but after moving around my goals, I feel motivated again. My GMAT is pushed until July, so I’m researching business schools now. At work, I’m focusing on projects that are particularly rewarding. We saw small businesses affected so our team wrote an article of marketing tips for business owners to stay connected to their customers and earn revenue while social distancing. I love giving back to my home city by contacting organizations in Chicago to offer the article and pro bono calls with business owners

The most difficult part of social distancing for me has been making time. I feel like I have all the time in the world, and none at all. In the first two weeks, I struggled to adjust to the sudden distance from my team. The hours were longer and each day felt like an endless cycle of waking up, working, studying, and going back to sleep. I’m naturally inclined to spend time alone, but being separated from loved ones, feeling like I wasn’t progressing in my goals, and feeling like I didn’t have any protected time all took a heavy toll.

Blocking time and setting a routine have helped. I’m lucky to have a team that is very supportive of my business school dreams, and I try to stick to nine hours of work a day, hour to study, and a few hours to Facetime friends and family. I’m used to being around a large team, so now I Facetime 2-3 people every day to keep sane.

I’m constantly reminding myself that it’s okay to take a step back from something and refocus. I hope that anyone else who is feeling overwhelmed has the opportunity to do so, too.

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The article is a piece on keeping sane, focused, and connected with loved ones during a turbulent time. I am a Taiwanese-American digital marketer, passionate about all kinds of food, crime shows, and art, based in Chicago, Illinois. I currently work for the management consulting firm Kearney and lead our global social media content efforts. Connect with me on Linkedin!