Navigating My Business Through COVID Waters

The 9 Things I Need to be in Control of Right Now

I’m pretty sure almost everyone reading this will have had their business impacted unexpectedly in the past few months by COVID 19. Some may be mildly affected, others massively so. I’m confident as well that you have heard, read or being given this tip in the past two months – Control the Controllable.

But what does that mean?

Well, wherever you and your business might be, I’d like to share 9 things that I feel I must focus on and be in control of right now to help me navigate through this period. I hope at least one of these is of help to you.

(Please pay close attention to number one. Everything depends on getting that one right)

1.     I must focus (and control) my ATTITUDE

It is said that your attitude determines your altitude. This Covid period is an extra test that nobody envisaged just a few short months ago. But dwelling on it or worrying about it will not get my business back to where I want it to be. To quote General Patton (a World War 2 General and a 1912 Olympian) “If you are going to win any battle, you must make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do because the body will always give up first. The body is never tired if the mind isn’t tired".

In my mind, this is now kicked off by a mantra. “It is what it is. I am where I am. This is what I going to do about it”.

What score would you give your attitude to where you are right now? If it’s less than you might want it to be, (eg a 5 out of ten) ask yourself, what can you do to improve it by ten per cent in this week. Then take steps to bring that about.

Remember, your attitude determines your altitude.

2.     The Time I Get Up

Getting up at an early hour is something I value very highly and for many reasons. Principle of those reasons is the fact that I believe the success of my day is hugely influenced by what I do in the first 2-3 hours. It can be tempting now that we are out of a normal routine to allow complacency creep in each morning by getting out of bed five minutes later. Well, five minutes can quickly become 30 minutes within a week or two. That would mean losing 2.5 hours over a typical working week which is closing in on half a day. I need to keep controlling this early to rise discipline to ensure I kick off each day well.

What about you? What is the optimum time for you to be up? How will you stay focused on that?

3.     My Body (Physical Exercise)

John F Kennedy the 35th President of the United States was once quoted with saying, “Physical fitness is not only one of the keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of a creative and dynamic intellectual activity”. With that in mind, I must focus on an early morning exercise routine which I know will leave me energised, motivated, confident, enthusiastic and thinking creatively about the day in front of me. Apart from the fact that I love early morning exercise, for all those added benefits, this activity must be non-negotiable.

Remember, 30 minutes of exercise is just 2% of your day.

4.     My Body (Food)

I was chatting to the owner of my local health store the other day. He shared something interesting with me that whilst we are waiting for a vaccine, we should be helping the body by maintaining good food habits. I know that every day my body is paying attention to what I eat or don't eat. I also know that what I eat every day is far more important than what I eat once in a while.

I must continue to focus on this now. If the virus were to hit, I want to be strong to be able to combat it.

5.     I must focus on what I DO want (for my business)

Imagine a penalty taker running up to the ball thinking, I don’t want to miss, I don’t want to miss. What is likely to happen? They are almost certain to miss, right? It isn’t that they didn’t have the ability to score, it is because that is where they were focusing.

Similarly, it can be easy to focus on what I don’t want to happen in my business for the remainder of 2020. Instead, I must focus on what I do want. For that to happen I need clear end goals, clearly monthly goals to bring those to life and specific activities each week that turn those goals from wishes into reality. 

What DO YOU WANT to achieve in your business in 2020? Make sure you are focused on that.

6.     My Time (throughout each week)

Most of us are out of our normal business routine. With that in mind, I need to be very disciplined with my time. That means clearly knowing before my week begins what my goals are for the week ahead and scheduling activities that will turn those goals from wishes to reality. To help me I must remind myself of two great quotes from Jim Rohn. Never start your week without finishing it first and it’s not about the hours put in, but what you put into the hours. For this to happen, I must decide in advance of my week what success looks like and then stay connected to what I decide on. To help me, I’ll reconnect with this list every Wednesday to see if I’m track, so that I can react if I need to.  

What score would you give your time management effectiveness in the COVID period out of ten. (1-2 being poor, 4 being average, 5-6 being good, 8 being very good and ten outstanding). Now, once you have your score, ask yourself what would you do to improve it by 10%?

7.     My Clients

I was asked to do a podcast for a client a few weeks ago who is in the digital printing business. When I asked him what the podcast was for, he shared with me that it is something he is doing now to help his own customers. It takes up his time and he isn’t making any money out of it. But that is a great trait of a great Leader. He is doing it in spite of that because he knows his clients need extra support right now. I need to focus on giving extra support right now because my clients have been so good to me in the past.

8.     Adapting My Products and Value

I must focus on looking at my product range and my value to my clients and adapt it for the times we are in. With that in mind, I’ve taken some of the core content that I normally deliver face to face and have adapted it to support clients in areas they need help in. These include ten or more new ‘Online’ Modules (one hour each) on Business Resilience ( Mental Wealth) How to Control Your Week (Time Management) My Super Network (Who can help you through this period) and also a new module on How to Design and Deliver Winning Webinars (so many people are now becoming presenters themselves). Our businesses are like flowers, they either grow or die. By doing this, I and my business will grow in many ways. 

What about you and your business? What might you need to change or adapt for the future?

9.     My Own COVID Impact

We have heard it said that our behaviour matters. We have seen that in the flattening of the curve. I have a responsibility to act responsibly. I need to stay two metres apart, avoid unnecessary journeys, have wipes in my car for getting in and out. Avoid touching surfaces and door handles as much as possible and be aware of my impact everywhere I go. That is a discipline and a contribution I need to focus on every time I am away from home. 

So which is your favorite of the nine I referenced or which do you think is the most important from you perspective? I'd love your feedback on what that is and the article itself. You can simply leave a comment if you have the time.

Stay Safe and Well.

GD