[mcph]

A recent work challenge for me is my decreased productivity and that of my coworkers during COVID. I'm experiencing a lot of frustration with myself for not being inured to the general weight of this time and being able to focus better (a frustration I don't apply to coworkers, for whom I have a lot more compassion than myself).

I've found myself referring back to The Plague fairly frequently and reread it last month. It may sound dark, but I find the sameness Camus describes in humans' reaction to difficult, at-scale problems comforting. It improves my ability to take it easy on myself (I'm not unique in feeling ennui/despair), which in turn has dramatically improved my focus. I also feel like it's given me a bit more context on and empathy for the widely varied reactions I experience with different folks in my business sphere - investors, customers, etc.

Business books for unique times :)