With apologies to the wonderful and irreplaceable John Prine; “Hello in there … hello.” How are you doing? I’ll be honest. I’ve been struggling. Business is way down. Like many small businesses, we’ve been trying to work through the maze of government and local assistance and hitting walls. It’s frustrating and exhausting. I worry constantly whether we will, in fact, make it to our 15th anniversary this October.
On top of that, some people insist that you “should be” spending your newfound time finding a way to come out of this morass with new skills, a library of future social media posts, a sparkling clean house or an extensive new contacts network. According to all of the “really successful people,” you certainly should not be sitting on the couch in your sweats, working your way through the Netflix catalog, sleeping in, or scrolling through your Facebook feed 24/7.
Maybe that is why my friend Melissa Gratias’ (pronounced Gracious) post this week resonated with me. Melissa is one of the most talented, organized, driven and motivated business people I have ever met. And yet? She admits to struggling right now, too. While I’ve seen several posts with a similar message, this was by far the best. Melissa does a wonderful job explaining what she’s feeling and then suggests baby steps to keep moving forward … but only if you really want to. If not? Well, that’s just fine, too.
I share her post with you because I hope it helps you as much as it helped me. I’m working on my baby steps. And my yard! I wish you could see how great my landscaping is looking! Working outside is the one thing that truly brings me joy right now.
Enjoy Melissa’s post! Her bio is below; check out her other posts and sign up for her great newsletter. And if you’d just like to chat sometime, please feel free to contact me. I’d love to hear from you and learn how you’re doing. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you. Call, email, or even arrange a Zoom meeting if you’re up for that. And please, stay safe and take care of yourself and those around you, OK? We’re going to be just fine.
Melissa Gratias, Ph.D., is an international speaker, coach, blogger, and author. For more than 20 years, Melissa’s coaching and consulting work have improved productivity for multinational, billion-dollar companies as well as individual solopreneurs. She creates workable systems so people can accomplish their professional goals in less time and with less stress. As a result, thousands of business owners, CEOs, and other overwhelmed professionals have become more focused, effective, and balanced in their lives and work. Melissa’s expertise helps people thrive, and according to her clients, she is knowledgeable, approachable, and “ridiculously fun to work with.” Learn what Melissa has to offer and connect with her online at MelissaGratias.com.