Business and life success isn’t about luck; it’s about planning and taking action. You’ve heard the quote by Benjamin Franklin,
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
Or, you may have heard the quote,
Take action! An inch of movement will bring you closer to your goals than a mile of intention.” ~Steve Maraboli
Maraboli’s quote rings true for me especially during this time of COVID-19 when most of us want to simply stop. Whatever goals you have remember doing something is better than not doing anything.
Parents with little ones, elementary and high school kids now need to think about how they’re going to entertain, make sure schoolwork is completed, and yes, do their own work from home.
I’ve been a business owner for 25 years and except for the social isolation, I’ve dealt with entertaining a Pre-K, half-day kindergarten child, his surgeries and recoveries, and working my business in between.
Business and life success: preparing for and taking action
Success in life and business (remember, it’s a holistic approach) means something different for everyone; being happy along the journey is key. I started my home-based business when Peter was three.
We can have the best intentions in the world to make sure kids, young ones and teens, have free time, scheduled time for homework, and time to connect with friends yet all the while remembering we have to work at home. It doesn’t matter if we’re an employee or an entrepreneur, if we don’t plan and take action we won’t accomplish anything.
It was necessary to plan work time, play time, school pickup, time off for his surgeries… If I hadn’t planned, my life and business would have been full of chaos because without a plan, we’re all over the place wondering what’s next, why we’re doing what we’re doing, where we focus; get the picture?
Scheduling time
Yes, we can schedule time to work, play, exercise… And yes, life happens, but with a schedule on the calendar when life gets in the way, it’s easier to adapt.
For working parents at home, your work schedule may need to change, but older kids also need to understand you’re working to either grow your business or keep your job. When Peter was younger I adapted my hours around his schedule but when he was in grade school I would say, “Peter, I need to work right now. I can play later, but right now I have to do…” During the early years, I’d wake up at 4:00 a.m., work until 7 or 8, take him to school, work until 3 and, when needed, work after bedtime. It can be hard, it can be stressful, but again, I knew why I was doing this sometimes crazy schedule.
Below are some suggested activities for kids and family time whether we’re isolated or not.
Activities for Pre-K and early elementary kids:
- Age-appropriate puzzles
- Crayons and white paper – they love being creative
- Sidewalk chalk
- Dye some rice and put in a plastic container with plastic utensils, bowls, measuring cups
- YouTube for kids (not all day)
- Story time
- Nap time
Activities for school-aged kids:
- School work, if applicable
- Assign chores to help around the house
- Schedule online time with friends
- Quiet time to read
- Cook – help make dinner or bake a dessert
- Go outside (keeping six-foot isolation in mind) and exercise – walk or run up and down the street, bicycle
- Learn a new activity – crochet, start a blog or daily journal
- Gather all your Lego and build a city – set it up and add to it when the mood strikes
Activities for everyone:
- Maintain a schedule of eating meals, showering, cleaning
- Take out a large puzzle for family time
- Board games
- Gratitude journal/daily prayer
- Connect with family members on phone, neighbors
- Learn a new language, i.e., Duolingo (it’s free!)
Preparing for success
In an earlier blog this year I talked about how planning and setting your SMART goals sets you up for success. Whether you’re trying to work from home amid isolation while keeping your kids occupied or figuring out when to do exercise, do the housework… when you create a plan with specific goals you’re more than likely to reach your goal.
Put it in your calendar. There are enough apps available for scheduling time on your calendar – Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Microsoft Outlook. You can add all the time into your calendar in order to succeed and make your goals, but if you don’t take action what’s the point?
During this time of uncertainty it’s hard to take action; I completely understand, but ask yourself this question: what good am I doing myself by shutting down? Right now, it’s more important than ever to keep your schedule or if you haven’t prepared time for success, do it now. Go into your calendar and schedule time for work, for exercise (I’ve set up a strength training area in my home for the time being), for your favorite hobby, and for family time.
Connecting with others through reading
Just because we can’t meet in person, doesn’t mean we can’t stay in touch with others! Peter and I have decided to begin a book club to help us stay connect and learn a little while we are told to practice social distancing. Please feel free to join us every Monday and Wednesday live on Zoom from 7 to 8 EST to discuss Gary V’s book, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook. This group is completely free and no registration is required. You can find the Zoom link and all other information in our Facebook group! See you all this evening!
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