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"Circumstances don't make the man, they reveal him"

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Said the Roman philospher, Epictetus. In the throes of this global pandemic, we are seeing this come to light. There are stories of heroic efforts and selflessness by some, and utter stupidity and greed by others. In the main, I'm witnessing a lot more of the former, even by people significantly impacted.

I would encourage you to take some time to think what these circumstances will reveal about you? All of us have very different opportunities and obligations during this time, but all of us have an individual role to play. It's a time to think more deeply about what matters to us and to recognise how our previous circumstances have shaped us in relation to the way we think, act and consume. I'm pretty sure so-called reality TV shows don't seem so real anymore. Endless consumption of the latest throw away item or fast fashion has lost its allure. This is a chance to reset your paradigm and think about what really matters to you.

There are things that we can all do. As an individual you can take heed of the core message to stay at home and do all you can to limit the spread of covid-19. If you are furloughed or unable to work, what could you do to improve yourself or contribute positively both now and post-crisis? It's gratifying to see the overwhelming response with over 500,000 answering the call for volunteers in the UK. We can all do a bit.

Have a think what skills you could offer or develop? Then make a plan to make this happen. It could be as simple as helping someone you know use technology to stay connected, or sharing how to bake a cake, or offering your skills for free to someone in need.

On my daily run, I struggled with the fact that whilst I've been able to get out (observing appropriate advice protocols) certain sections of society are currently overwhelmed with demand such as the NHS, the care sector, cleaning and PPE suppliers, food supply chains, internet providers, and many others. I'm grateful to these individuals and organisations and applaud their efforts but I feel like I wanted to help. What I realised is that this doesn't require a grand gesture but just doing something small and focussed.

As a business owner, I'm currently impacted as many are with a significant and dramatic drop in my usual work. Having taken stock and realised that my previous way of working isn't going to work at the moment I've set about to focus on what I can control and develop a new purpose and way of working so that whatever happens I emerge stronger in the long run. This enables me to help the economy post-recovery.

I've also looked at ways I can help beyond following the Government advice. I've offered free coaching support to the NHS, I've been working with clients to reshape their businesses, I'm sharing information (like this article) that just might help a few people and I'm running some free focused mastermind groups each connecting 6 business owners over the next 6 weeks.

I'm also learning new skills, reading new business books, listening to podcasts and updating clients as I learn. I’m making sure I look after myself so that I can add value and lessen my impact at this time on already stretched services. It didn’t seem like much at first but I know that if we all did a little something then collectively it will make a big difference now and post-crisis.

I'm making sure that I don't add to the confusion and uncertainty in what I post and consume on social media and checking in with many of my contacts and ensuring that they know they can reach out if needed. Sometimes just knowing that someone can reach you can be very powerful.

I hope that when you and I look back, we'll be proud of what the next few weeks or months revealed about us. Remember that circumstances will be changing rapidly. Keep updating a simple plan about what these changes might mean to you and respond accordingly. If there is one thing history has shown us is that humans are very resilient. However, those that thrived where the ones who had a why and a purpose. Set a new purpose for yourself and build a new routine to help shape it.

Stay connected to those that matter and reach out to your support networks or build new ones if needed. We’ll all need a pick me up at some point over the next few weeks. I hope this helps you; if it does feel free to share.  

 

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