This is our year!....Wait, what just happened??
Well this is not how we thought this year would go at ALL. We had such big plans, lots of goals, and we were off to a great start. Almost overnight, we are now all adapting to a ton of change and uncertainty.
Two weeks ago (it seems like a lifetime ago), I spoke to hundreds at a speaking engagement about focusing on the Big Rocks and that you constantly needed to adapt to changing times. Who knew that days later, we would all be adapting to widespread major change -- with job loss, grocery and toilet paper shortages, isolation, and an inability to plan anything beyond the current day.
I've been impressed with the resiliency and creativity of so many. I also know many others who have gone radio silent and are struggling with a major economic crisis.
When we talk about assessing and focusing on our Big Rocks, this was a case-in-point. Our Big Rocks are first and foremost the health and safety of ourselves and our loved ones. Staying inside helps to ensure our safety so that has to be first.
Next, we have to make sure we have food and supplies, which led to a lot of stocking up (some more than others...you know who you are).
The next Big Rock a lot of us are facing is our economic stability. In our case, we are small business owners and we employ 11 team members. I haven't written a blog post, inspirational or otherwise, since that day because I was focused around-the-clock on how to ensure the store remained open and the team was taken care of. Unfortunately, like so many other small businesses, we finally had to close our doors and let our team go. It was an incredibly emotional day. We have layered on to that my husband's job uncertainty and my other consulting projects going on hold, as my client's businesses are also affected.
I say all this to let you know that I know how you feel. We went from being really on top of our game to feeling pretty damn overwhelmed and worried. Here's how we're coping:
1. Stay inside, stay healthy, and stock up on basic needs and supplies.
2. Take care of your people - your family, your neighbors, your team.
3. Work some part of everyday on your financial situation - explore programs, aid, and opportunities.
5. Stay connected using "Distant Socializing" instead of "Social Distancing" as suggested in this Stanford News article. It's key to improving mental health.
6. Create a new routine. Get up and out of the robe. Still "commute" to work on your treadmill like Megan Smerk is! Make a new schedule and block time for different activities to break up the day. Get outside everyday to breath fresh air and take a walk.
7. Tackle a project at home - cleaning, organizing, rearranging furniture, organizing the spice rack...whatever makes the environment you're spending ALL your time in more comfortable.
8. Lastly, once we cover the basics, we find ourselves with the gift of time. Yes, we're all wearing out our streaming services, which is totally understandable when you gotta have a distraction. However, allow yourself time everyday to work on the project you've been WANTING to get to - your passion project. I know I just did by writing this post. :)