Scrolling through Twitter last night, I came across a tweet that asked an incredibly thought-provoking question. This was it…

This tweet got me thinking!

It made me stop and think. As I stopped scrolling and my mind started racing, I came up with five pieces of advice I would give myself if I had a crystal ball back in March. Briefly and in no particular order, here is what I would say…

1. Be ready for the long haul. This isn’t going to be as easy as “crushing the curve.” A three-week shutdown is not going to eliminate the coronavirus. This thing is going to stretch many months.

2. Things will get tough for your industry. Prepare yourself, higher education is going to be tested like never before. You think classes will be in-person come the fall? Ha! Don’t make me laugh. Be prepared to think creatively and to do whatever you can to provide a bright spot to the students who never imagined that this is what their college experience would be like.

3. Rip up your calendar. Your brother’s wedding? That 5K you were going to run? Hoopfest? All the random stuff you planned to do during the summer? It’s not going to happen so just come to grips with it now. Learn new ways to socialize, celebrate, and dine because public gatherings are going to be severely limited, if not completely banned.

4. Expect the unexpected. This virus will take you on a rollercoaster like never before. You will think things are getting better and then a spike will hit. Your favorite restaurant will open back up only to shut down the next week. Your friend will be healthy one day and then come down with COVID the next.

5. Think critically. The truth will, at times, be tough to grasp. Everyone will have their own ideas on how to beat the virus and move forward. Political agendas and fear-mongering will try to steer you in all different directions. Be smart and see through the B.S.

What advice would you give yourself? Don’t Blink.