As we are entering our fourth week of social distancing and our second week of shelter-in-place in Minnesota, a quote about dealing with crisis jumped out at me in a book I was reading. I thought what better quote than this to start a new tradition of finding —and sharing— inspiration for the week ahead.

While I am fortunate enough to be able to run my business from the home office without too much interruption, the rest of my life has still been impacted. Uncertainty of the future for workload and personal life, sad or irritable kids, being an active extrovert without social outings and, last but not least, the fear of getting very sick myself or losing loved ones, never loom far out of reach.

But then, I thrive on a good challenge and am typically blessed with a roll-up-my-shirt-sleeves-can-do-attitude, so this quote really resonated with me:

“Never let a serious crisis go to waste.”

M. F. Weiner, Medical Economics, “Don’t Waste a Crisis—Your Patient’s or Your Own.”

To me, it reinforces the belief that challenges are hidden opportunities. A crisis can force us to shift gears, re-prioritize and grow. While uncomfortable and painful, it may end up an opportunity to pivot and thrive, rather than just cope.

As an example, I would like to share some of my personal short-term goals and silver linings of being sequestered at home with variable workloads and fewer distractions:

Work

• Finish the EOS/Traction models for my business
• Grow the business through marketing and sales
• Grow as an entrepreneur through eLearning opportunities and webinars
• My favorite book for business: Traction by Gino Wickman

Financial Health

• Re-evaluate and re-prioritize spending
• Focus on shopping for essentials primarily
• Putting any extra savings aside for a special outing, dinner or vacation once this is all over

Personal Health

• Build a daily home workout habit
• Find other ways to be active like walks or bike rides
• Healthier home cooking instead of eating out
• Choose some special projects to complete (home, yard)
• Read or listen to more books (fiction and non-fiction)
• Learn new skills, actively practice self-growth
• My favorite book for personal growth: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** by Mark Manson
• And yes, occasionally taking a night off to do nothing or binge-watch Netflix

Connection and belonging

• Play and relax together (board games, bike rides, movie night)
• Cook, bake and eat together (try new recipes, German comfort food)
• Regular, meaningful 1:1 phone calls with friends and family
• Maintain belonging in groups via virtual happy hours

This a difficult time for all of us, but I am confident we will get through it and emerge stronger than ever. As we navigate this crisis together, I wish us all strength and courage to focus on the things we can control and manage and I hope that you and your loved ones stay healthy and well. Have a great week!

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