Welcome to May – now entering our EIGHTH WEEK of the “shelter in place” mandate.
It’s been a prolonged and tiresome struggle for everyone but more so for those trying to run a business in the days of COVID, which only compounds the normal stresses of daily life. Somehow, while productivity has slowed (even dramatically for some), things seem crazier than ever! As an owner of a business deemed essential, I have been at the warehouse every day since the shelter order. Never have I felt a greater sense of responsibility as an employer to try and keep all my employees safe, healthy and busy.
So why am I bothering you with all this information?
Because, NAWBO sisters, I want to remind you that life is a marathon and not a sprint. Eight weeks of stress has been tormenting and unhealthy, so I am writing to tell you to take good care of yourself. Be kind to yourself. Stop wondering if you should have done something a different way. We have never charted these waters, so second-guessing yourself will just zap your energy. Make time to do something special like a bubble bath or a DIY mani-pedi. Even if it’s just taking time out of the day to enjoy reading, please do something that nourishes your soul.
And then get back to work!
And while the stressors will still be there, a routine of self-care will help in many ways and motivate you to refocus on the tasks at hand. It will clear your mind so you can approach a problem with renewed concentration and fresh perspective. It will balance your temperament, and feed your soul as a small reward during the daily grind. All of which will bring emotional stability so you can work (with your team and your clients and your suppliers) logically through this difficult and exceedingly uncertain chapter.
With clear thought and fierce determination – and with the invaluable support and guidance from within our NAWBO family – now is the time to rise above uncertainty and write the next chapter of success.
“Reignite, Recovery, Resiliency, Rebuilding” is our theme this month, and it’s a call to action to strap ‘em on and strap in. Use this season of rebirth to (prudently) invest in yourself and your team; utilize all available resources efficiently; renew and strengthen existing partnerships; evaluate and logically deploy competencies effectively. Knowingly or not, these are some of the strategies you used to launch and operate your business to get to where you were before COVID slammed into our lives. Use them now to pull through this period, bolster the team, solidify your base, find new clients/customers, and increase market share while others are still stuck in neutral.
It will require entirely new effort. It will be stressful. It will take self-care and reliance on your NAWBO peers to push through.
But it will ultimately bring reward.
We are, and will always be, better together.