Co-Founder Remy Bibaud - March 12, 2021
I don’t’ know what’s going on in your neck of woods, but in my corner of the world things are moving like molasses. My motivation for accomplishing work goals and completing personal projects is frozen like our rivers in Pittsburgh. Rather than slip into self-loathing, I have to remember to incorporate the advice I give to others into my own life.
Always:
be grateful.
focus on small wins.
do something nice for someone.
Always be grateful.
Find something or someone to give thanks for every day, then speak your gratitude out loud. This helps to plant it in your heart like a seed. This morning It took me longer to get out of bed, it was warm, and I was tired. I laid there consumed with thoughts of all the things that needed done, I realized I wasn’t going to fall back to sleep, so I stumbled out of bed into my usual morning routine, annoyed and grumpy. I almost brushed off my morning prayers, but realized my day flows better when I start off this way. I gave thanks for my warm bed and the ability to work from home so I can hit the snooze button as often as I want. While these may seem insignificant, there are people without a warm, safe place to lay their head. Many are unemployed and losing sleep over it, as well as their homes.
Always focus on small wins.
In a prior life, I worked with a Project Manager who explained that the art of completing projects on time and on budget is like eating an elephant, you take one bite at a time! The analogy has stuck with me through the years. Accomplishing a goal can be overwhelming if the focus is on the final outcome rather than on the steps to getting there. Each spring we launch new sympathy gifts & packages – this is a six-month effort. This April, our goal is more complex as we plan to launch two new pet loss gifts, a memorial gift for humans, and several milestone packages that welcome new pets and celebrate birthdays. The project has been in play for some time and were in the final stretch. I stay sane by focusing on the smaller tasks (wins) like finalizing the cost/pricing structure, receiving and prepping inventory, establishing the photography schedule and building draft product pages for the website. Shifting the focus to milestones makes accomplishing the goal less stressful and more gratifying in the end.
Always do something nice for someone.
This advice doesn’t need explanation because I am sure you have experienced the reciprocal effect of doing something nice for someone. Performing random acts of kindness has become so popular that it has been given its own day on the calendar. Do we need a “day” to remind us of the benefits to our own mental, spiritual, and physical wellbeing that result from doing something nice for someone else? Certainly not. So, why not make it a habit? It doesn’t have to cost anything. It could be as simple as sending an encouraging text, leaving a note in the mailbox for the postal carrier, or taking the neighbors dog for a walk when you take your pup.
I find when I step back from the things that are not working the way I want them to, or when I want and apply any of these tips, I am reinvigorated to keep moving through the molasses.
Be well everyone and remember no matter what you’re going through be it a moment or season, “this too, shall pass”.
Remy
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