How are you thinking about this pandemic? Are you in a Waiting mindset? Do you find yourself constantly thinking that when this is over then you can get back to normal? Do you hear your self say things like I can’t do anything different with my business until this Coronavirus is no longer a threat?
Do you find yourself thinking that you are stuck at home, and can’t do all the fun things that once described your life… such as gatherings, concerts, sporting events etc.?
If you are in a waiting mindset- waiting for it all to change, for some normalcy to resume, you are certainly not alone. However your mindset may be making you more distressed and miserable than you need be.
Waiting is a passive event.
Waiting means you may have convinced yourself that life sucks, your business is compromised, and there’s not much to do at home with your family or partner “until the pandemic is behind us.”
Waiting is something many of us, especially business owners are not used to. Waiting can be agonizing if that is all we are doing. Many of you have already made changes and adaptations to your businesses because you had to. What if there was more to do however than just waiting it out?
What if you begin to have a “CREATING” mindset. Creating is active. A Creating mindset thinks more like this: “ I cannot control the pandemic, the restrictions, and the closures or other changes stemming from the pandemic, but what can I do?
Creating says, “Even now, what kind of business do I want? What kind of further adaptations can we make to not only stay afloat, but to innovate, and create something new or different that might in the end actually be more cost effective, or offer something that serves our customers or clients even better?
Often times as business owners and leaders we get complacent – or we think we ought to have all the answers. What if we talked with our staff- managers, front line or leadership teams to ask them what ideas they have to create a different outcome. Front line staff often view policies, systems, procedures, from a very different lens than the ones who put those policies, systems and procedures in place since they are the ones who have to implement them. They know first hand when they are effective and when they seem to invite a worse outcome.
Perhaps being that leader or store owner that is willing to show up with more questions than answers- really listening to the responses- may open up a whole world of possibilities in terms of what could be next for your business. Additionally, talk to your customers directly. Inquire as to what they need more of, or less of or what they are enjoying the most about your products or services.
You can create a brand new outcome by realizing you are not in this alone. You have more options for your business than just passively “waiting it out”.
It may require creativity, ingenuity, and humility to put yourself out there and ask some great questions to your staff- not just your best employee, or just your leadership team, but rather everyone. If you show up truly humble, and make it safe for everyone to have a voice, you may be surprised at what you hear.
The same applies to your home life. If you are waiting for things to improve in your home life, hoping that someone else will take lead, perhaps it is time for you to enter into a creating mindset there too. What kind of partnership/ marriage do you want? What kind of relationship do you desire with your children?
A creating mindset can help you begin to look at all your relationships differently. It may start with what I call creating some truth statements so you begin to retrain your thinking: Truth statements sound like this… “ It is true that because of the pandemic we can’t go to the movies and have a nice dinner inside a restaurant now, And what we could do instead is find a new recipe cook together as a family, and set the table as if we were in a restaurant.
Maybe one night, parents dress as wait staff and wait on the children. The next week the children cook and serve the parents. That is creating something brand new in your family life.
Perhaps if mom is the one reading to the younger kids at bedtime, dad takes over and acts out the story. Or, you may decide that you will create theme nights where one night is family charades night, and the next night is movie night. You might create several no screens nights where the whole family comes together for board games, or song and dance night.
Waiting means you are a passive victim of these challenging times we are in. It is truly a mindset that serves to keep us stuck, and often depressed and miserable.
Creating the life, family, and business you want, means taking an active role to be innovative with your home life as well as your business.
Are you single? What other things can you do alone or with friends rather than sit around, eat or drink too much? How can you develop a creating mindset that allows you to feel that your life is still fulfilling? You can make your own themed events socially distanced in person or virtually. Get outside in nature, go hike, walk In the rain, or cook an elaborate meal for yourself. Can’t eat it all? Take half to a neighbor.
Creating is an active process. Yes, it will take a bit more time brain energy and the time you spend creating new outcomes, bringing back some joy into your life, health, relationships and business will be well worth the time spent considering the options.
Waiting or Creating. The choice is yours. I hope you choose the latter.