What is the biggest thing you’ve learned during this COVID 19 crisis? If you’re like most people you are coming face-to-face daily with things that you never thought you’d experience. When the pandemic shot off the charts in mid-March and we were forced to close our doors and furlough our employees, I was in a relatively new position at the Silver City Grant County Chamber of Commerce and Convention Center, and I actually wasn’t sure what to expect. Now, more than 5 months later I have attended countless virtual meetings, I’ve learned what it takes to successfully work remotely, I’ve bought local and ordered takeout more often than not and I’ve tipped much bigger than I usually do, and I’ve learned that I can do this.
When we are faced with the uncertainty that a global pandemic forces us to endure we have two choices to make. Number 1: We can look at the global panic that is taking over our communities and run out and buy as much available toilet paper that we can carry and prepare for a life as a hermit, hunkered down in our house, chilling with Netflix and watching the world pass us by on a 24-hour news channel on television. Or two: We can take stock of our lives, look at the knowledge and experience that we have amassed and grab our own boot straps and confidently say to anybody who will listen, “I’ve got this!” Anybody who knows me understands that I will always default to the latter option and I will always urge you to do the same.
I understand that my writing often seems too motivational or overtly confident to some. If you are more accustomed to a “glass is half empty” kind of guy then you’ve got another thing coming. As a sales professional I’ve made a career out of selling sizzle to my clients and delivering the steak that they wanted. As a parent I’ve achieved Ph.D. level status at helping my children rationalize why they wanted to eat their peas, carrots and other veggies. My daughter believed that broccoli helped her hair to grow long and shiny and carrots helped her have strong eyesight. Finally, as a coach I help my clients see something in themselves that they didn’t always realize was there.
The world of entrepreneurship is a scary world and the life of a small business owner can be stressful. Ask any business owner and they will tell you that the pressure of maintaining payroll and keeping your employees working is real. They know that the success of a marketing plan can sometimes be affected by a subtle nuance that might seem miniscule today but which could make a significant difference tomorrow. We learn from our mistakes and apply what we’ve learned in the hopes that today’s change will be the key to tomorrow’s success. My small biz circle knows this as “The Winning Formula” and it is something we strive for every day. How do you get to the winning formula? It’s simple: You must accept your own excellence!
It matters not whether you’ve started your business or you are still in the dream stage of starting one. It doesn’t matter if you are self employed or a dynamic leader working for someone else. Accepting your own excellence is something that you must do every day. I believe that you are where you are because of divine guidance and your life’s purpose has brought you to this moment in time. Accepting your own excellence means that you are the subject matter expert on the project you are managing and your experience will carry you to success. Accepting your own excellence will help you work more effectively with others and explain your view point and help you understand alternative points of view. Accepting your own excellence is a conscious choice and it is often a moment-by-moment struggle. When you accept your own excellence, you stop listening to the critic in the mirror and begin believing the “Man upstairs!”
I don’t believe that this global health crisis is going to be over anytime soon which means that you still have time to learn the most important thing you can during the COVID 19 pandemic. That thing you must learn is to believe in yourself. Believe that you have the power to do whatever you want and succeed in ways that you never, ever, imagined. Accept your own excellence, step up to the plate and knock it out of the ballpark. You’ve got this!