At this point in June I would be looking forward to two events.
Firstly, I would be travelling up to the CIMA MiP conference for an evening the bar with old friends and new. Then I would be spending two days acquiring some great CPD and mixing with other MiPs, getting their take on business life. I even got to speak on the main stage a couple of years ago (hence the piccie).
The conference is a key event in my business life and is a great opportunity in the year to review where I am at. I always come away with some great plans – some of which I implement and some of which lose their lustre by the time I have made the journey home. But either way it is an event I would not miss for the world.
The second event is Glastonbury Festival – and this year we actually got tickets. It was to be the 50th anniversary and, as a local, it was due to be a big deal.
Of course, this year has not turned out to be at all normal and so I shall be attending neither of these events!
Is it too early to find things to feel positive about in these unprecedented times?
It is certainlythe case that for many business owners the current situation is one of great stress and uncertainty. Many businesses will not be able to survive the period of inactivity – and that is a tragedy.
However, I think there are opportunities too that have come out of our enforced changed circumstances, which I would like to explore.
For many of us the slow down in the pace of life has meant we have had time to reflect on our lives – both professional and personal. We have had some space to put things into perspective and to plan for how we would like our post COVID-19 lives to be.
The futureis uncertain for all of us, that is for sure, but then the future is always uncertain. If we wait to plan and review until a time when decision making is risk free, we will be waiting for ever.
Maybeyou have found that your business is more robust than you thought. You are weathering the storm and life looks ok. In which case you are in the lucky position – perhaps – that you don’t have to get as stressed as you used to about your business.
On the other hand, if business was a constant challenge before lock down, and is even more stressful now, perhaps now is the time to reconsider the path you have been taking. Is there something else you would rather be doing to earn your daily bread?
Sometimeswe can find ourselves trapped in a set of circumstances that are not positive for either ourselves or our families. This can often be a result of letting your business rule your world rather than you ruling it.
If you are in this situation, don’t you owe it to yourself to question how you might make serious changes so your future is much more positive than your past?
One thing lockdown has given many of us is a better work/life balance. I am certainly spending much more time doing proper exercise – long walks and bike rides, static rowing… I feel healthier for it and have even lost weight!
This is possible because I am not spending any time travelling to meetings or events. All my work is done from home – I have more productive hours in the day!
I can’t waitfor lock down to end but I will need to find a way to hang on to the balance I have found.
