Five Shorts for Summer Days - Because Who Has the Patience to Read Long Posts?

Short 1 - Step out the Zoom-Box

So, the Summer officially started, and my question to you is, how are you holding there? It seems that the Year 2020 decided to do everything to keep us on our toes one way or another. So here is what I am thinking about: how can I help my clients who feel tired from back to back Zoom call to feel as they are not burning out?

Here are a few ways I hope will help you work outside the Zoom box:

1. Phone call – quite revolutionary!! just let go of the screen and call the person you need to speak with through the phone.
2. Walk and Talk – is it hard finding the time to walk? Move one of your meetings for a walk and talk. I have clients that I will urge them to call me and go on a walk while we are having a session. I also have friends that, since the lockdown, we can’t meet for a face to face walk and talk, but we can defiantly both walk while being on the phone.
3. Team huddle? Send your people outdoors and do an outdoor team huddle.
4.  Take the computer and sit outdoors - I know, we all have the neighbor who will mow the lawn, or use the leaf blower the moment you sit outside. But take an hour or two to sit outdoors and change your experience.
5. Six feet driveway meeting – this is real, and it happens, some of my executive clients do this responsibly. If you have a peer who lives close by and a private house, invite them to your driveway, two lawn chairs, and six feet apart and have a conversation.

If you have more suggestions to get out of the Zoom box, please feel free to share. I promise to add them to my post with your name, or if you see this article on my social media feed, add it in the comments – let’s do our best to meet outside the Zoom box.

 Short 2 - Puzzles

How many puzzles did you do since the lockdown started? I did quite a few, each of 500 to 1000 pieces. With a new membership to audible, I found my trick to disconnect from binge-watching and overusing screens. My little secret of forming a habit is connecting the new wanted action with another action, for example, running and vlogging. So when the lockdown started, I wanted to read more and be less time on screens. I realized that the emotional state pulled me quickly toward the screens obsessing about social media videos that were distracting and with no value. I hated every second of it, and what I really wanted to do was to read. Here is what I did. Each day with earbuds and a glass of wine, I stepped after dinner to the large formal dining room and started working on my puzzle while listening to a book. It was a real win: puzzle time, no screen, and listening to many books or podcasts.

 Short 3 - On the Run / Younger Version 

Forming a habit round two.

I can’t run. Since the lockdown, I don’t feel the motivation to run. I work out every day, I walk, but I can’t run. I love running. So reached out to my youngest son and asked him if he would like to help me go back to running and train for a 5K since it was something he wanted to learn. He was excited to support me. I was excited to help him overcome some mental blocks. You see, my youngest loves to start new projects, but when he meets an obstacle, he retreats. I wanted to help him work on this mental block through running. Running helped me overcome my mental blocks: excuses. Yep! I was the master of excuses until I learned to run.

We started with the coach to 5K approach; you walk one or two blocks, you run one or two blocks, you walk, you run, and so on. But every time, there was the same spot close to the end of the run where he would give up.

Every time I tried to stay calm, each time I asked myself: “should I keep running to the next block or stop with him?”

What would a good leader do?

What would be the best learning for my son: showing up that I don’t give up or that I am kind and compassionate to his struggle. I have to say that I was not sure what should be my next step, so I reached out to my awesome LinkedIn community, and they had great suggestions and insights (as always)

Check my video and comments here.

Short 4 - Pivoting

My goal this year was to publish my book and speak at conferences, but then with the COVID19 the email-cancelations started coming. So I pivoted.

I pivot fast and reached out to podcast hosts, who referred me to other podcast hosts - and that’s when my journey as a podcast guest started, and you know what? I LOVE IT.

I met with cool people around the US and around the world for an open-hearted conversation about a topic they and I care for. It is not about selling; it is about value. It is not about income; it is about meaningful conversations and human connections. Most of the podcast-hosts are using this platform as a way to inspire their tribe to become better at what they do or want to be. Inspiring.

Click here to check my podcasts interviews - more to come.

Short 5 - You Have a Choice

Back to puzzles. When it started, all I could think is why am I here and not out there? I was listening to the book “The Choice” by Dr. Edith Eger she survived the holocaust, she walked with Martin Luther King, she is still alive and dancing. I listened to her story and thought, there were not enough voices saying then that it was not okay! it is my responsibility to go out and end white silence. Silence is our worst enemy. Black Lives Matter. Educate yourself (click here for a reading list) and then walk your talk. How? Check this post, better than 100 more words I will write.