Are you finding dealing with our “new normal” difficult? Do you have a hard time being motivated to “be productive?” Are you frustrated because others seem to be having an easier time than you?

Shortly after Ontario declared a state of emergency, my husband and I had a conversation about people’s reactions. His insight was that coping was easier for me than many others, because I’ve been working from home for years. I was already used to working on my own, and meeting self-imposed deadlines. We’ve talked about how COVID-19 is affecting people several times since then. I’ve also had lots of time for self reflection.

This post shares a practice that may help you. I know it’s helped me throughout my life. It helped when I failed out of university. It helped when I was figuring out what I wanted to do after retiring from the military. Now it’s helping me deal with the unexpected reality of living through a pandemic.

Gratitude is something that anyone can practice. Is life perfect? Rarely. Is there something we can be grateful for? Yes! There is always something that we can be grateful for. Even if its something small.

When I failed out of university as an Engineering student on a full scholarship, with pay and guaranteed employment upon graduation, I had to figure out what to do next. I was grateful to the military for offering me the chance to repeat my academic year, and for offering me the opportunity to change majors which also meant a change in military occupations. I was grateful for my friends who helped me brainstorm what military occupations and academic programs were best suited to my strengths. I was grateful that I had an entire weekend to figure out what I wanted to do. I chose business administration for my new major and the military occupation that eventually became known as Logistics, Human Resources. I was grateful when the military approved my choices.

Retiring from the military was one of the few things that made me feel anxious. I wasn’t really sure what I should do, other than I wanted to: earn some money, volunteer more in my community, and be present in my children’s lives. My wise husband said “What’s your perfect job? What do you enjoy doing? Start there.” I’m grateful that he asked those questions. I’m grateful for my military career, and the skills and knowledge I gained, that helped me start a business I continue to enjoy.

Right now, I’m grateful that my family and I are relatively healthy. That we live in a safe home, with potable water, indoor plumbing, electricity and internet. I’m grateful that I have a military pension, which covers our basic family expenses. I’m grateful for the trees and wildlife I can see out my windows. I’m grateful my family members are keeping themselves occupied.
 
I’m also grateful for the little things, things that bring a smile to my face, like the painted rocks decorating the ground underneath our mailbox. The rocks in the pictures accompanying this blog, were my inspirations this week. I smile every time I pass by the mailbox, because I know the rocks are there. I’m grateful for the grocery store staff, keeping the stores clean and well stocked, so I say “thank you.” I tell others what makes me happy on social media posts. Sometimes I even pick up a pen and a journal and write down things I’m grateful for. I find that focusing on the things I can be grateful for helps me keep a positive mindset and get through tough times.
 
I encourage you to practice gratitude too.  Start with the little things. Notice what is going right in your world. It could be loved one’s smile or voice, a flowering plant, a good book or a funny video. Notice what you’re grateful for, say “thank you” and if you’re so inclined, write it down.
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I would be grateful if you shared what you’re grateful for in a comment.

A lot of people are finding it difficult to deal with the extra challenges that COVID-19 has sent our way.  For some it’s balancing “home-schooling” with working from home. For others it’s the added stress of not knowing if the job they’ve been laid off from will still be there when we reach our new normal. For high school and post secondary students it’s wondering what sort of jobs will be around, when and if they get to complete their education.

We’re living in a time of turmoil. It’s tough. I know people who are: scrambling to do things to help others like sewing masks, fundraising for charitable organizations that support the vulnerable in our communities, and struggling to keep their small businesses afloat.

One of the teachings I’ve embraced is that it’s important to take care of yourself. To look after your own mental and physical health needs rather than making sacrifices to help others. If we work so hard that we burn out, then we are of no help to our families, our communities or our organizations. That’s why good leaders everywhere are telling their teams to take care of themselves and their loved ones, to do the work they can from home, and that it’s OK if they’re not quite as “productive” as they would be working from the office. Having small children and pets pop into business video and phone conferences is becoming part of our new norm.

Some of us are out there putting their lives at risk to help the rest of us stay home and #FlattenTheCurve. These are the heroes keeping our society running, helping us feed our families, get medication, and performing other essential jobs. I am grateful for all that they do.

No matter what you’re doing to get through these times, I need to tell you something. It’s OK to take a break. It’s OK to go back to bed for a nap, or to sleep in. It’s OK to stop sewing facemasks for a day to rest and refresh yourself before carrying on. It’s OK to grab a shower after a long shift, grab a bite to eat, and then collapse into bed for some much-needed sleep.

It’s OK to feed yourself and the others in your household simple meals. It’s OK to enjoy a few moments of introspection rather than doing your normal exercise routine. It’s OK to reminisce over a photo album rather than creating another visually stunning Facebook ad for your business. It’s OK to listen to a podcast before answering another job posting. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself.

If you, and the others living in your household are safe and fed, it’s OK if they haven’t had their nightly bath, or spent hours submitting resumes to potential employers. It’s OK if your teens wake up at noon, and do their homework between 9 pm and midnight.

I set myself a goal of writing and publishing a weekly blog each Monday. Yesterday I took the morning off. I thought about what I wanted to write but the words weren’t flowing. I did some other “productive” things that were in my calendar and on my to do list, a few were “work” related, most were in support of my volunteer roles, like the virtual Foodbank Board meeting last night. I didn’t write my blog.

This morning I woke up early, ate breakfast, and sat at my laptop. I was tired, and unmotivated. After telling two people on Facebook to take care of themselves I decided to take my own advice and laid down on the couch for a nap. I woke up at 9 am and felt better. I started with a few household chores, then sat at my desk and responded to email.

​I noticed I was still logged into Facebook and spent a few moments sharing what I’d done yesterday and this morning with Carole, a high school friend. That’s when I realized what my blog should be about this week.

I gave myself a break. Please, take care of yourself, and allow yourself to take a break too. 

On Thursday April 9, I had the honour of delivering a session for the WE-CAN Project at Queen’s University, through a webinar in Zoom. For this week’s blog I decided to share some of the “Mastering the Art of the Pivot: From Adversity to Awesomeness” session content.
 
We all face adversity in life and in business. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a new level of unexpected adversity for all of us. Work life has become challenging. Many entrepreneurs are wondering what to do and who they can turn to in these troubling times.
 
The webinar and accompanying handout cover proven strategies and techniques that help you to reframe obstacles into opportunities, and help you pivot when you encounter roadblocks on your business or career path. Helping you go from adversity to awesomeness!
 
Awesomeness follows Adversity
Most of us face some adversity, as life often takes unexpected turns. That’s OK.
 
Some things are beyond our control, a year ago, most of us could not have imagined something like COVID-19 and the impact it has had on our daily lives. Our New Normal is significantly different for most of us, and incredibly challenging for entrepreneurs no matter what size your business is.
 
Our schedules have changed, many have lost income, some fear they may have to close their business. This blog isn’t going to dwell on COVID-19. Instead it’s going to cover some of the things you can do to find your path from Adversity to Awesomeness.
 
Choices & Consequences
When adversity comes your way, you have choices, even if some of the choices are unpalatable.
 
We all need to recognize and admit that some things are out of our control. You can’t change the past. Some things in the present are out of our control. We still have choices.  If it rains, you can choose to go outside with an umbrella, to wear rain gear, or to go outside anyway without doing anything to protect yourself from the weather. You may choose to complain about the weather and stay inside. These are all valid choices. Once you make a choice, accept the consequences of your choice. For example, if you choose to stay inside, you’re warm and dry, but you might miss the exercise you hoped to get.
 
Accept the consequences of your choices, and figure out how to move forward, to create the awesome future you want.
 
The Art of the Pivot
I love reading. I read for pleasure and to learn. One book I really enjoyed reading is Randi Zuckerberg’s “Pick Three: You can have it all (just not every day).” Randi shared great insights about the art of the pivot. The following tips related to pivoting your business:

• Get advice from others. But your thoughts matter most.
• Take stock of your skill set and what you love doing.
• Update your profiles.
• Timing is Key.
• Just do it.

 
Every week brings opportunities to pivot. Last Monday at midnight, my internet failed, I didn’t notice until I woke up Tuesday morning. After trying to reset our modem from home, I called our service provider. They told me they would do an outside of the house service call Wednesday sometime between 8 am and 5 pm. 
 
My spouse’s advice was to forget about Thursday, to reschedule for the following week.
I took stock of my options, including that my neighbour has shared their WIFI with me in the past, and that I can access it from our dining room. I also scoped out the free WIFI in our library parking lot, sitting in the back seat of my van. Using Skype, I ran a test on video connectivity with my parents. They gave me feedback on the glare from the side and rear windows, and told me they could see the library building behind me. We brainstormed options to reduce the glare.

I told the Project lead about our Internet issues, and kept her updated. Then decided to just do it!
At noon Wednesday the service provider technicians showed up and gave us advice from outside. By 1 pm, my spouse and the techs had worked out a solution and we had internet! Just in time for the 2 pm test run Wednesday afternoon. The Internet connection worked perfectly Thursday morning.
 
One of the side effects of increasing security to avoid Zoom bombing, was that the webinar room was locked 5 minutes in. As a result, a few people who were running late missed the beginning. 
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This blog serves more than one purpose. It helps share more information with those who missed all or part of last week’s webinar, it helps me keep my promise to myself to publish a blog each Monday, and it gives people an idea of what I cover during the Mastering the Art of the Pivot: From Adversity to Awesomeness session.
 
I hope that you found this information useful.  Have a safe and healthy week.

​Everyone is shaped by our life experience. By our upbringing, the jobs we’ve held, and the setbacks and triumphs that we experience. I was brought up to be self-sufficient. My parents expected my sister and I to finish post secondary education, to earn a living, and to be financially independent. They set these expectations for us because they met so many other couples whose marriages failed, invariably leaving the women in financial difficulty. The values I was taught as a child were reinforced by my military career. Be self-sufficient, education and training are important and can help you succeed, everyone should be treated with respect.
Before COVID-19, I would hold meetings at independent cafés, attend events where I mingled with other business owners, and shop in locally owned stores. I can imagine the challenges many business owners are facing, particularly those with brick and mortar locations, who have significantly more overhead than I do including: rent and payroll. Overhead costs don’t go away just because businesses must shut their doors to help #FlattenTheCurve.
I’ve been following the roll-out of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response (CERB) Plan. It seems to me that the Canadian government is focusing on bailing out the multi-national and national companies, and that the programs for the Micro, Small and Medium businesses may not take effect in time for them to survive. I’ve realized that many people, including the owners of smaller businesses are going to quickly run out of disposable income. When I identify an obstacle, I start to look for options. It’s funny how sometimes the answers to problems have been around for a while, I just haven’t recognized them.
A few years ago, I participated in discussions hosted by the Poverty Round Table Hasting Prince Edward and their Living Wage working group. I’ll admit I was somewhat flabbergasted by the concept of a Guaranteed Basic Income. Remember, I was taught to be self-sufficient. It was easier for me to understand the concept of a living wage. It made sense to me that everyone working should be able to earn enough to live. That big businesses often pay enormous wages to their C-Suite while paying many of their staff to minimum wage, or poverty level earnings, goes against my belief that everyone should be treated with respect, and that we all bring something to the team. I’ve been quietly advocating for a living wage within my circle of influence. In retrospect I could have been louder.
When I retired from the Canadian Armed Forces, I realized that the majority of my immediate circle of family, friends and colleagues, came from a place of privilege. Our families expected to help our children go on to complete post-secondary education. I realized that I needed to develop a better understanding of those who haven’t had the same privilege. I love learning, meeting new peoples and reading. To help me better understand others, from their perspective, I read books written by people with vastly different backgrounds, I also turned to Twitter. I follow speakers and authors that I admire, people I meet, people with similar values and people with very different backgrounds.
One of the things I learned is that there are people in the world who would love to be self-sufficient, who for a variety of reasons can’t do it on their own. Some are in remote communities where there isn’t much paying work, some are single parents, some are discriminated against when they try to get work that they’re qualified and trained to do.
I’ve read about how hard it is to get a job if you’re homeless. Where do you get cleaned up, and clean clothing to wear for a job interview? What address or phone number do you put on your job application? How can you think about researching employers, when you haven’t had a solid meal in days? All this new knowledge silenced the little voice in my head, whispering “they should get a job.” 
Learning all these things helped me to understand that a guaranteed basic income was a good idea and that I could support the concept. I know that the Canada Child Benefit lifts families above the poverty line and decreases the reliance on food banks. This also helped me along my journey to acceptance.
COVID-19 has solidified my belief that Canada should implement a guaranteed basic income, for everyone over 18 living in Canada.  For all Indigenous peoples, Canadian citizens, Permanent Residents, and probably more.  The Canadian government acknowledged that $2,000 is the minimum that individuals in Canada need to survive.  Not thrive, survive.
The government has acknowledged that many people are falling through the CERB eligibility cracks.  An opt-in guaranteed basic income plan would allow everyone in need to apply.  This includes many Micro and Small business owners, the brave minimum wage earners on the front lines working in grocery stores to help us feed our families, the people whose hours have been cut even though they still have a job, and many more. I believe that most people are honest, and that micro business owners like me, who can pivot our business would not apply, that those earning a good wage, with benefits, and guaranteed jobs would not apply. Those whose circumstances change can opt-in when they need it.
Now is the time to seriously think about what we want our new normal to look like.  I’ve seen a lot of people on Facebook and even some on Twitter who are applauding the brave people on the front lines helping us survive the pandemic, truck drivers, grocery store staff, medical professionals, cleaners, and more.  Let’s change the way we think, to give everyone a chance to take care of their basic needs. Let’s institute a Guaranteed Basic Income across this land we call Canada.