“First thing First”
This is my first blog-post in a long time. You see, life got in-between. Early in 2013 I decided to focus on writing on my up-coming book and the blogging was a bit down-prioritized. I didn’t mean to stop altogether but just not focus on it. But I got more and more stressed, there was just not enough time. Just like you I am a business leader wanting to do my best and I ended up in the situation most of my clients are in when they seek my help: Stressed out. At this point a new catastrophe hits me. My 87 year old mother falls badly when she is doing such a banal thing as throwing away her garbage and she gets severely injured.
Now we are talking about prioritizing. Mom is in the hospital needing all support. At her apartment she has a cat needing food and love, bills and other trivial mail is continuing to dwell in. I have my appointed tasks in my business and all the things I want to do to continuing to develop it, including an unfinished book. And I have a family of my own.
This is where thinking “first thing first” come in handy. If you at all can think. Well, I consider myself having both feet on the ground and asked myself: What would you have suggested to your clients in this situation? I would have asked them:
What is the #1 most important thing in your life?
The answer was easy for me. To care for my near and dear ones. That is all that counts in the long run. Of course it was my mother’s well-being in this situation. The business will always do without me for a while.
I put all my unnecessary tasks aside; blog, newsletter, social media, marketing, networking, yes everything that I was able to drop. I still managed all planned clients of course and everybody was nice and understanding when we scheduled new hour etc.
My sister, brother and I took turns at visiting at the hospital. My family helped me with the cat, we eventually had it taken care of by the organization for cats that mom had gotten it from to start with. I also took care of all paperwork needed to be done.
This story has a sad ending because after 2 month in hospital moms heart didn’t want to do the work any longer. She had had cardiovascular diseases for many years so to me, being a doctor, it was understandable but to me being a daughter is was not at all what I wanted.
It had been 2 month of constant worry and stress but at the same time I am glad I got to have this short time for a kind of farewell. She was all clear in mind up till her last day.
We have had a warm and nice Farewell ceremony and now I feel free to go on with my life again. I am so thankful to myself for letting me do the most important thing first, I am glad I walked this path even if it meant 3 “lost business month”. Those can be restored but the time with my mom will never come back. This is what life is all about.
Time for business again!
One of the things I long to do is to start blogging again. So here I am. I will also re-start my monthly Ezine and finish my book (will hopefully be out in September). Longing to be out there among my clients and work-partners again.
Have you ever experienced overwhelm or been stressed out like this and found a way out? Feel free to share your stories and/or tips as a comment below. I would love to hear from you.
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Keep smiling!
