If there was ever a time where “Rolling with the Punches” was more important, it is in the middle of a pandemic. In some way, all of us have learned to adjust and change ~ whether we really wanted to or not. This takes on the form of working from home with children to literally moving to a new location... some temporarily and some of us permanently (even though we may have thought it was temporary).
Even with all of that, the two main components that have been there that have taught me patience and sincere surrender to life are... 1) being a Parent and 2) being a Business Owner.
The fact is that these two parts are completely unpredictable and will test all the elements of trust in yourself. So, in light of currently waking up at 4:00 a.m. not being able to go back to sleep... it will finally produce “time” to write! Here are the "5 Tips for Rolling with the Punches" which I am honored to present:
1) Always have something else you can do: This is true whether you are stuck in line (which we have a lot more of these days), stuck waiting for your baby to wake up, or stuck waiting for your documents to load because there are 4 people in your home constantly using your bandwidth. There is always something else you can do. This can mean checking your email, paying a bill online, or making a quick phone call. It also can mean doing something for yourself, such as writing your 5 items of gratitude for the day... doing 5 minutes of meditation… or when accessible, having a glass of wine.
2) Be Flexible: Things don’t have to be done right now or even today or completed all at once. You are allowed to clean the sink in your bathroom today, the tub tomorrow, and the toilet on Wednesday. Let’s face it, sometimes you only have 5 minutes to do something. In fact, this blog will probably be written in segments in between waking up now, working out in a couple of hours, and the 5 interruptions somewhere in the day after my daughter wakes up. Started writing the blog on Monday and posted it anywhere between Tuesday and Wednesday. The truth is I never know how much I will get written and when.
3) Just Start: The hardest part is starting. We will use every excuse in the book to not start. “I just don’t have time for that right now.” “What if I start and my baby wakes up or my partner comes home?” “I am just so tired.” The truth is once you propel yourself to start, you will want to finish ~ even if it takes you 5 tries and 5 days ~ you will get it done.
4) Be Your Own Best Friend: When you talk to your best friend and he says... “I have been trying to get to the gym 4 times a week and only made 2 times this week”… what do you say? You would probably say something like… ”Great job for making it twice; next week, try for 3 or 4!” So, why not say the same thing to yourself? Support yourself for what you're doing well and encourage yourself to do more. Also, be compassionate to yourself about what you aren’t able to do. You can’t do it all after all!
5) Ask for Help: This seems to be one of the most challenging things for some people. Even if you ask a good, reliable friend to remind you on Tuesday just in case you need some accountability. You can ask someone to help you take care of your baby while you go to the gym (you could offer a reciprocal). The truth is people want to help... they simply don’t know how to ask without offending.
At the end of the day, we are all humans trying to the best that we can each day.
Keep going... be Flexible... You Can Do It!
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Written by MerriLyn Gibbs