How are you holding up these days? It certainly has been a whirlwind two weeks here in California. My entire family is working from home (we have two adult children that live with us) and it’s been an adjustment for me just as much as it has for them. I’m extremely thankful that we are all still working and able to do so.
While some of my clients might have had to temporarily shut their doors, we are still sharing socially, just a little differently. But that still leaves me with some time on my hands, and I’ve been trying to use it in a way that will serve me better when this is over. Here’s what I’ve been doing:
Audit Digital Files
I’m a downloader and saver, thinking I’ll get to it later and rarely doing so. I’ve downloaded tons of PDF’s from masterclasses and webinars that I haven’t looked at after the event. I’ve been going through documents, folders, and images and deleted what is no longer necessary, what is no longer relevant and any duplicates.
Audit Cloud Files
The same applies to my cloud storage, either through Google Drive or Dropbox. I had increased my storage late last year on Dropbox so I’m making sure that I’m utilizing that storage with files that would normally take up too much space on my hard drive and moving them to Dropbox.
Organize Client Files
Taking the time to go through all my client files is time-consuming but I really don’t need three drafts of a holiday campaign from 4 years ago. I’ve found that this is another place I have a lot of duplicate material. Auditing these files also encompasses anything that made its’ way into any of my Cloud-based storage systems.
Take a Masterclass
I recently joined a subscription-based service that encompasses several of my clients who are in the same niche. Yesterday I jumped into the first Masterclass through Zoom and I learned A TON! My expectations were low as it was an SEO class, but I learned more about things I had heard of and how to implement them in ways I had never thought of. It was an hour of my time and completely worth it.
I had also taken another class online a few months ago on organizing a design-based business and now I have some extra time to go back and revisit some of the sections that I need more clarification with.
Set up Systems
If you’ve been thinking about trying an online project management system but haven’t had time to learn the ropes, this is your chance. This is also a great time to set up your business in an accounting system.
Enjoy the Downtime
I realize that I have the privilege of not having to rely on my income to pay our mortgage. I realize that not everyone has that kind of comfort. But we can control only what we can control, and how we react to this unprecedented issue will have many effects on our mental health and immunity. I was listening to a Podcast on a walk last week and a physician was talking about how to boost your immunity. It wasn’t with supplements and gargling with salt water or drinking some kind of tree bark tea. It was three things: sleep, stress and clean food. Eat well, get enough sleep and keep your stress level low. Easier said than done, I know, but this is the time to restart that meditation practice or journaling, or whatever.
One of my biggest fears is the fear of the unknown. Not knowing when this is going to end has been hard. Not knowing how long we’re going to have to live like this has been excruciating. But when I think about a year from now, certainly it will be over by then. 🙏🏼 I think the way people and communities have come together has been amazing, and I truly think we will all be better people when this is over.
Thoughts?
