It is November. I said last month that I suspected we were still reeling from events. September was bad and October has been traumatic too.
This time it was political changes and the effects they have had on all of us. And of course, the spectacular thunderstorms and continuing strange mild weather and sunshine.
So, what am I thinking about?
I am concerned about the hysteria that is everywhere you look in the UK. Everyone has their tale of woe. Maybe their mortgage has increased because their fixed term ended at the wrong moment. Maybe their house purchase has fallen through. Maybe they were looking forward to the cut in corporation tax, now not to come.
The language of every news bulletin speaks of eye watering decisions to be made or turbulence. Everyone is on edge because of the uncertainty – today it is and tomorrow it isn’t. People are blaming everything they can think of during the last six years starting with Brexit. Even Dr. Who thinks his regeneration has gone wrong (but having David Tennant back for three episodes is bound to be fun!).
What is the result? People are anxious, on edge, full of adrenalin and working on what I call Mills and Boon time. It means they are totally focussed on their own situation and oblivious to everything else. It is all about waiting for the next event. They are fixated, fearing the uncertainty and with regard to the rest of the world they are not fighting or fleeing but frozen.
So where are you in all this? Are you frozen or taking Penny Mordaunt’s advice and keeping calm and carrying on? How are you coping?
My first thought about coping is take back control. We have heard that somewhere before. This time I mean take control of your own life; find your fire again. Do not leave living your life to someone else. Much might be outside your control, but you are not flotsam bobbing about in the river letting it take you where it chooses. Let your fire be under your control and burn brightly.
It is budgeting time for many of us. OK there may be more scenarios to think through and assumptions to note. Maybe it is time to go back to basics. Most of you know that I am not a fan of conventional business plans which are long and wordy. I like something more immediate, so I always recommend the business model canvas. If you do not know about it, have a look at this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP0cUBWTgpY
Just thinking it through again, reassuring yourself what you are doing, why and how it will earn you money is very reassuring.
Find some positive people to fraternise with. Ban discussion of politics. Bounce ideas off each other. Dream about possibilities.
The other way I stay positive is to have a taste of John Timpson. The whole Timpson upside management approach always fills me full of joy because it values people and wants every person in the organisation to run their own part of the business. There are lots of Timpson books. Some Timpson stores have them around for a charity donation at the moment. The solid common sense brings me joy. John Timpson talking about his privilege and about his mistakes makes me happy. It might not be something you can adopt but reading John will make you feel better I guarantee.
So those are my three positive business things. I hope you are still consciously looking for three good things in your personal life that bring you joy. This month mine are these:
1. One of my great Godsons has received the much-desired smoke machine so he can add smoke to his animations, he is beside himself.
2. I had a surprise visit from some old friends.
3. My decorator has fixed the accidental tear in the brand new wallpaper (long story) you would never know that it had happened.
All these make for a happy me.
All of this stuff is important in my role as a mentor. How you feel about life, the universe and everything, will determine how you approach each day; how you work; how you serve your customers and influence your team and consequently how you feel. It’s cyclical. If you want to know more about all this why not give me
a call and we can talk about your challenges. I love speaking with people, off the meter, to help them explore possibilities and whether/how to take them forward. I hope you will be one of them.