Tips to Carry on in Covid Chaos.
Right now I am hiding in my room—trying to write this 500 word overview of how Covid has impacted my biz/work/life experience.
I am truly hiding.
If any of my 4 children sense I am actually trying to get something done they will raise their heads…sniff to the wind…and HUNT ME DOWN. “Mom watch my new flip.” “Mom I’m hungry and bored.” “Mom can I have a sleepover with six of my friends?”
Wait. The fourth child. The 2.5 yr old. He is quiet. So quiet. This can only mean the five minutes it has taken me to type these words was enough time to a) find a way out of the house and is now running down the street with nothing but a diaper on or b) he has found my purse makeup bag and is systematically destroying every blush, eyeshadow and pressed powder with his teeny powerful fingers (my carpet will never be the same….yet will glitter so that’s cool). Covid has been, and continues to be, quite the ride.
This is my story. It is evolving as quickly as my own emotions are fluctuating. Let me start with this important point. I am grateful and blessed to have 4 healthy children, a home, food in the fridge and a partner who remains employed (although he just sprained his ankle which renders him useless in the chasing of the toddler support role). I am writing this from a place of privilege and relative comfort. With that said my world, specifically my business and working life, has been dug up and replanted many times since the pandemic took hold. Here is how Covid unfolded for me…and the lessons learned along the way.
February 26th 2020 I was speaking in Texas. I’m trying to remember if there was even any talk about an infectious virus from Wuhang. The fact that I can’t remember makes me think it was not the prominent topic of discussion.
Fast forward to March 12th . I travelled to Toronto to speak at a conference and I brought hand sanitizer along. Coronavirus WAS the topic of discussion with hand washing right up there with no handshaking or hugs. I don’t think social distancing was yet a regular part of my lexicon. Still. I had no idea where this was going. The lunch was served buffet style. I went out for a lovely dinner in a jam packed downtown restaurant before a live theatre show. We all crammed into a taxi getting from one place to another.
But we didn’t hug. Well maybe one or two slipped out. I felt guilty about it.
In the airport on my way home I received my first event cancellation. And then another one shortly after. CANCELLATIONS. Contagious Leadership Training’s main revenue source is from speaking engagements. Every cancellation and rescheduling to 2021 was a big financial (and cash flow) hit.
Side note: I just went to check on the toddler. He was quiet because he was using his sippy cup to spray milk all over the floor, couch and kitchen. He is actually proud of his art. Maybe I should be too.
Covid hit my biz HARD. I do not anticipate speaking at large conferences until late 2021. I do offer virtual keynotes/workshops and we are booking those engagements which is such an interesting change of pace. Also smaller, more intimate, team training experiences are more in demand which is EXCITING because I know first hand how important it is to get your teams together to connect, build trust and increase engagement (especially since so many have been working remotely or hybrid remotely).
My families business is comprised of an audio visual company, the manufacturing of Riversong Guitars, music lessons and retail sales. When government restrictions became a reality and the event industry was HALTED our A/V company and music store temporary closed for business as well. This involved laying off staff who are like family (many are!).
What became so clear so suddenly was this: my business and our family business exists simply because people gather. I am still in some form of new found realization over that simple reflection…in awe really. Who knew the gathering of people, the process of a collective in-real-life experience, is so fundamental to the human soul? I do now. I think we all have a new perspective. So many tweaked ways of looking at everyday things and everyday ways of being and doing.
And then. School was cancelled. Daycare ceased. ALL MY CHILDREN WERE AT HOME. WITH ME. ALL THE TIME.
I want to say I was the Mom who was like, “now I have time to hang and spend quality time with my kids! YAY!”. This would be a lie. I was overwhelmed with the unbelievable ongoing mess of the house, 24/7 irrational toddler demands, emotional teens and the constant fight to get the kids off their screens. The parks closed—another blow to this non-crafty Mom. I continued to work about 20 hours a week with client contracts that were not affected by Covid but working 20 hours amongst 4 kiddos is quite challenging.
No. Very frustrating.
Plus I was now helping the kids manage online school and the new reality of not leaving the house. Once a week I got groceries. By myself. It was awesome. My husbands work did not change. His world remained relatively the same. In some ways I felt a wee bit resentful. For over 15 years I have been managing my career around pregnancy, nursing and children. It has always been ME who gets the kids when they are sick, who only takes on part-time work because of our desire to be available for the demanding needs of the family. And while there is nothing wrong with our arrangement I was beginning to feel….ok…IT’S MY TURN!
Side note: Would I do it different with what I know now? That’s a question for another blog post :) Before Covid my professional work was finally being given the space and energy to effectively, and sustainably, grow. And then suddenly I am a stay at home Mom trying to do professional work with a toddler pounding on the office door.
Unprecedented times. There I said it. Because after all…it is.
What do we do with these types of personal and professional challenges? We learn from them. And I have definitely grown as a person, as a business woman, an entrepreneur and a Mom.
Here are 20 lessons I learned from my Covid experience.
I hope they serve you (in feelings of resonance, entertainment…probably both).
I like to be at home unless I am forced to be at home.
Human connection in real life is a soul requirement. I miss people.
I don’t wash my hands enough. My kids are germ balls.
Half of the online subscriptions I had for my business were not ACTUALLY returning on the investment or needed anymore.
Working from home is not the same as working at home during a pandemic.
Moving my office around was unbelievably revitalizing.
A reset is a good thing. Take the opportunity to examine business processes for effectiveness and bottom line impact.
Flexibility was important before Covid and the #1 tool I intentionally used for managing life at home and the new financial reality of my business.
Innovation is the grease that turns the wheel of necessary change.
Make a list when grocery shopping because it is the law of the universe that you will remember you forgot the most important thing you needed when it’s almost your turn for security to call you to a till. Security, I should add, in the front of a grocery store is unsettling.
It’s ok to take time to adjust amongst the PIVOT NOW frenzy.
Sometimes a pandemic is the perfect opportunity to close doors on products/services/projects that are not serving you professional and/or personally. TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY.
Kids learn to be adaptable joyful beings by seeing the adults in their lives LIVING that way. So make the effort. (pep talk to me….needed to hear that today…again).
Pivot with purpose. Think beyond the current trends.
Daily drives to Tim Hortons with your 14 year old daughter just might be the best bonding time EVER. A gift courtesy of Covid. May your journey bring you joy, opportunity and growth.
