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Solving important problems and building trust in society has never been more important - and many of us are working overtime to do so. Others struggle to carve out time for themselves as they juggle little kids or people who need caring.
For the group of people who find themselves alone more than they would like and don't know what to do with themselves, or anybody who needs to take their minds off immediate problems around them, here go some ideas of what you can do (mostly for free) to acquire new skills and be ready for when they let you lose on the world again.
Get started
Get started
The most important thing is to get started. It doesn't matter if you correct course or find that you rather like something different - that is all better than not starting at all.
What to do with all that commute time?
Have more fun with your brain
Have more fun with your brain
One could of course learn how to play the guitar, do moviestar makeup and cooking and stuff, but the dry stuff comes more easily to me.
Learn how to touch type
Learn how to touch type
💰Free 🕒 2 weeks, 30-60min/day
This is the 21st century and you type all day. If you never took a course, you cannot type properly ("but I use 8.5 fingers..."). You are at a disadvantage and you will notice a huge difference. Learning to touch type is an investment for life.
Tip: Today, touch typing is learned via apps, not typewriters. Thank goodness.
Learn how to organize your brain
Learn how to organize your brain
💰$15 🕒 3 days for the book, 1 life to apply it
If by now I have not convinced you to read Getting Things Done, I have failed you. Go make the best of your down time and take your mental game to the next level.
Learn how to program
Learn how to program
💰Free? 🕒 Depends on you
This is the best time to start something fresh, something that may become a side project, a side job and a career. Who knows? If you wanted to know what programming, data analytics, statistics, artificial intelligence, networking and all those wonderful buzzwords really look like from the inside - you can. All the nerds started out like you.
Prepare for a professional certification
Prepare for a professional certification
Time does not stand still, even during a lockdown. Why not use it and come out guns blazing? Perhaps you may not be able to sit the exam just yet, but you will make up for a lot of time.
Language diplomas etc.
Language diplomas etc.
💰Depends! 🕒 Depends!
Perhaps you don't need any certification at all and can just find friendships for life during these times - but maybe this is the time to get ready for your English or Mandarin exam as soon as they can be scheduled.
Professional certifications
Professional certifications
💰Depends! 🕒 Depends!
This is a step up from languages. Especially our colleagues in tax and audit practices can try to convert these crazy times into study hours. But not only them - project managers, business analysts, agile practitioners, designers, there is something for almost everybody nowadays.
💰200$ + Coursera 🕒 4 weeks, 120min/day
This is how I occupied myself. There are currently 9 professional certifications, based on the type of you do.
Where else to look
Where else to look
Unsure what to do? You might find some inspiration here - the goal is to keep moving.
Online universities
Online universities
Many of them are completely free, some are paid but well worth it. It is usually a good idea to pick your interest first and then check which university/course best covers it.
YouTube
YouTube
Surprisingly, there is a lot of quality content here once you look for it. Perhaps you need to log in with an anonymous Chrome window to get past the distracting recommendations.
Your company's desired certifications
Your company's desired certifications
While this may not be the best time to ask for funding, do take a look at preferred certifications. All companies keep lists of desired certifications. Also ask your manager what would make sense for you, given where you are going.
e-Learning
e-Learning
Your company's learning and development is unfortunately mostly known for mandatory compliance trainings (which are really good nowadays, don't get me wrong!). But there is a treasure trove of great material we can read and watch for free.
Collab Thinking's archive
Collab Thinking's archive
There is quite a lot of in-depth articles on this blog you can dive into. Most point you into more directions and learning paths.
Learn Google Workspace
Learn Google Workspace
If you want to polish your knowledge about Google Workspace, your company likely keeps a site with tons of material on all services.
I hope this was a bit inspiring - things are crazy, but this does not mean you are powerless. By looking out for yourself, keeping sane and positive, you create stability around you and the brighter tomorrow we all look for these days. This is how you help others. You're doing great - keep at it. Thank you for reading!
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