Making the Most of Time

I have an important invitation for you to join me in making your idea happen. So please read on, friends.

It’s Day 14 trying to follow a self-imposed morning routine that starts with a 5 am alarm and a pretty aggressive schedule to get things done. This is also Day 14 of starting my day by beating myself up for skipping the first 90 minutes of that routine.

Sometimes you have to wonder why we design these games for ourselves.

After spending a lot of time swirling in the news and following the updates in the pandemic, I’ve also been pulled in several directions guiding clients through this time. It’s been hard to focus. Everything is uncertain.

Big decisions have been made around the world like weddings and vacations postponed. We can’t get to loved ones who are sick and dying.

You are experiencing a version of this, I know. This is one thing each person on the globe has been affected by, and if they haven’t, well, they aren’t taking this seriously, and that’s another story.

My goal is to focus on possibility. And compassion.

On a recent Zoom call, Matt Church discussed the concept of possibility, and I love that because it holds hope for the future without being naive or pollyanna. Right now, there isn’t a silver lining in this for so many, so taking a “positive” stance doesn’t feel right.

Thinking about possibility feels productive and disciplined. Being compassionate means something good will come out of this.

Collectively, our plans for the next month have been canceled. It is so quiet out, you can almost hear the disappointment in the air. Many of us have lost out on memories and opportunities.

BUT: What most of us have gained is time. We have literally all been sent back to our rooms to think about what we’ve done. (I saw this somewhere on the internet and can’t find who said it.)

So what will you do with the time you gained?

I have this game when something goes wrong/unplanned in my life looks like this:

Give me a “wallow allowance.”
Reframe, get optimistic.
Make a plan that is motivating.
What action will I take today to get there?

Look, I even made a model for it. I think it’s the key to making us resilient in difficult times. It’s also the difference between dying and thriving:

Developing Resiliency

Wallow Allowance

I can wallow for a pre-determined amount of time before I have to uncurl from the fetal position and do something about it. I set the timeframe dependent on the gravity of the situation.

For our current status, I give myself a small wallow allowance each day. That’s unconventional, but these times are unconventional. Typically, I’d front-load the wallowing and get over it. Not possible now; I need to update myself on the facts, so I spend 30 minutes each morning actively seeking the news I need. For instance, yesterday morning, I wanted to understand why our Congress can’t seem to pass an aid bill. I needed to understand who is blocking what, and for what reasons. I want to know the current scale of things and make sure my actions align with the bigger picture. i.e. am I overreacting by canceling a trip to see my Dad who is not doing well?

Optimism

Then, I reframe everything, smile inwardly. Look at my husband, my dogs still sleeping while I type this. Watch the sunrise. Be thankful for small things like a walk in the woods and a check-in on an elderly neighbor who is so grateful for it.

Motivation

Next: What will I do today to make my situation better? I have a lot of ideas for this one, but I’ll share one here for its relevance. I have always been interested in helping people make their ideas happen. It’s why I started Big Leap – to help leaders articulate their idea and make it happen.

Something I’ve wanted to offer to my clients is creative facilitation. I work with many companies who have a creative problem that requires a solution. The people involved deeply in the organization are the best people to solve it, but don’t have the process with which to do it. That’s where I come in.

Action

What will I do today to be useful? I’ll check in with friends, with neighbors (especially elderly). I’ll check in with clients and past clients and people in my network, which brings me to you.

How are you getting along? Really. I want to know. And what will you do to take action?

Here is my action. I will take the last two and combine them to offer YOU some value and help you solve your creative problems. I want to host a free online workshop to facilitate your process for making that idea happen you’ve always had in the back of your mind.

Now is the best time to do it. (I mean, I’m making my idea happen. See? )

A group of us will meet via Zoom. You will have an idea in mind – maybe it’s to launch something new or to adapt your business. Maybe it’s to pursue a personal hobby. ANYTHING. This session will help formulate a game plan to solidify the idea. I’m going to limit the number of attendees so we can brainstorm together and find solutions to each of your hurdles to get there.

Please comment here or private message me if you are interested. What is the creative problem you’d want to solve? Where do you think you need the most help? This will help me design the session, which will take place in early April.

Comment below or private message me. I’ll add you to the invite list.

Take care out there.

PS: Photo by Moose Photos from Pexels

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