During the pandemic, I was forced to help homeschool my son. I never thought I’d be a schoolteacher, let alone a teacher for my eight year old. What I learned about myself while coordinating the homeschooling of my youngster has gone far beyond that experience. After a year of doing it, I looked back and realized I learned a lot about myself and much more about dealing with others. This has helped me improve how I structure my day to day life. Here’s what homeschooling taught me about myself:

1. Loose the rigidity in life. Flexibility is important in any daily schedule. A planned schedule can quickly change when technology doesn’t work as planned. Something that was supposed to take a half-hour only takes a few minutes to complete or vice-versa. Learn to be flexible.
2. Listen to understand where the other person is coming from and more importantly what is important to them at that moment. If you don’t listen you will not know what the next step to take.
3. Change happens quickly. Think in advance what change might be coming. You need to be ready to roll with change.
4. It’s about the process of things not necessarily the end result each day. If you stick with a format you will eventually get a result maybe not that day but at some point. Having a process outlined in your head develops consistency.
5. Know when to let go and move on. Don’t let frustration be the ultimate end point.
6. There should always be time for some fun. Fun breaks up the monotony and can help you shift directions especially if things aren’t progressing the way you want them to.
7. Don’t dwell on things. There is always so much more to do not only on a daily basis but in life. Don’t lose precious time dwelling on something that didn’t work out as well as you had wanted. Move on.
8. There are plenty more wants than needs. You can get by on just a few things. Learn to understand the difference between the two and focus on the needs.
9. You’re your own worst enemy. Try to understand your strengths and weaknesses and focus accordingly.
10. You can’t change how others will act or react, but you can change how you will respond to their actions. Know the limitations of what is within your reach to change and what you can’t change.

Overall, what I learned was a different way to look at life and approach it in a way that makes it more interesting, more fun, and allows me to learn more in the process.