It’s no secret that 2020 has thrown us some curve-balls that no one saw coming, but how can we continue to grow and thrive our business during quarantine?
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If someone would have told me a year ago some of the things that 2020 would hold, I would have thought they were full-on crazy pants. I mean, seriously. Virtual schooling our kids, wearing masks everywhere, social distancing – this list goes on and on. But while we can’t control what is going on around us, we can control how we work our business!
That’s one of the best things about our Paparazzi businesses. We can adapt, we can iterate, we can change as things in our lives change. Maybe that is something extreme like all of 2020. Maybe for your its a new baby or you just moved or you got a new job. Or the kids are now home and having to virtual school. Or whatever that looks like – you can make your business work AROUND life.
So lets jump in to some of the ways that I’ve been able to work and grow my business during quarantine.
Mindset
I have to touch on this first because its big. Huge. The MOST important thing there ever was. Seriously though. If you have a case of stinkin thinkin, nothing can escape that stink. So we gotta do the work to get our heads in the right place.
For me, that looks like waking up early, writing down things I am thankful for and the goals I am focused on, going for a walk and having a little “me” time before the rest of the house starts waking up. Lets dive a little deeper into those things because they are each so important.
1- Take time to be thankful. I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it a million times more. Faith and Fear cannot exist in the same space. Positive and negative can’t either. So when you take time to be mindful of the things you are thankful for, you are CHOOSING to push negative thoughts from your mind. You are choosing to find the good. The positive things that surround you.
I don’t look for big things but rather small, tiny things. The hummingbirds I saw on my walk this morning. The beautiful pink colors in the sunrise. The message my sister sent me that made me smile. That ridiculously corny joke my kid shared. Whatever. The point is that I’m taking time to focus on these things that brought me joy. Brought be happiness. And then what happens? My mind starts searching for MORE things that bring me happiness all throughout the day. It changes my entire day. It changes my entire outlook. Cuz the things you focus on will grow and when you are focused on the good that you see around you, it can only bring more good, right?!
2- Write down your goals – There is something so powerful about writing down your top 10 goals every single day. It helps me focus on the bigger picture. To remember that I have things I want to do and achieve beyond this minute. Things like being in the best shape of my life, being an extraordinary wife, becoming an author, hitting my next rank, helping my team members hit their next ranks, and many more. When I start my day writing down the goals that I am most focused on in this minute, my mind starts working behind the scenes to make them happen.
Its like calling your shot. Saying out loud what you are going for. It can be super scary to put some of those goals down on paper but fear isn’t gonna help you get to your goals. Being daring is. Being willing to push past your current comfort zone. Reaching for more.
A quote that has stuck with me since my childhood is “an unwritten goal is merely a wish”. So write down your goals. Write them every single day. And then work and hustle and make them happen.
3- Exercising. Now I’m not saying you have to go run a marathon or hit a new PR in weight training, but I do recommend getting your body moving in SOME way every day helps so much! In actual scientific studies, they have shown that just 15 minutes of movement can be more powerful that anti-depressant medications. Its been shown to decrease stress and anxiety and boost mood as well.
For me, when I take a 30 minute walk in the morning, I make better food choices in the day. I drink more water and less soda. I reach for the salad instead of the chips. I am a little less cranky with my kids and a feel a little more able to handle the craziness that life throws my way.
To be real, I have spent YEARS telling myself I didn’t have the time to make this happen every day. I mean, I have 7 kids, a business, a growing team plus all the things that come with them. There are nights I don’t get to sleep, let alone shower! But, the more I make myself a priority, the more I’m able to get done. Its like all the other things get done faster or maybe I just have more energy to plow through my todo list. I still haven’t figured out HOW it works, but it does.
So find what works for you. It could be a workout video, yoga, time on a treadmill or elliptical. Maybe its a morning walk or run. Or weight training. Maybe it’s chasing your toddler at the park for a few minutes. Whatever that looks like for you, find the time. Get your body moving. It will help your mood, it will help your body, and if you’re like me, it will even help your business.
Work It
One of the biggest changes came in my business when I made my business a priority instead of taking a backseat in my life. I had been “working” my business for a few years with only a little success. I would wake up with a goal to do a party or post an album or do wall drops and then the day would get away from me and before I knew it, it was 10 at night, I was exhausted and the last thing I wanted to do was start posting things online.
The day I decided to make my business a priority instead of the last thing on my list, was the day my business changed. It was the day it started to grow – to explode.
I set timers on my phone for when I was going to share in my VIP group. I chose a day and time for my live shows and got my hubby and teens on board to help with the little kids at those times. I got intentional.
I didn’t realize that there were days and weeks going by where I wasn’t working my business AT ALL. The time just blended together and I *thought* I was crushing my business but in reality, I was pretending to work it.
So, my friend, get a schedule. Decide how you are going to work your business. And then do it.
It sounds simple right? But now you gotta execute.
Wanna do home parties? Book um. Want to go live twice a week. Get it on the calendar. Gonna start a text group for your newest jewelry? Do it. Carve out time to do these things.
I hope you are hearing me right now. Please don’t do what I did. The rest of your life will find a way to adjust around you working your business. It just does. The dishes will still be there. That shelf you want to reorganize will wait for 20 minutes while you do a speedy sale.
Its important to realize that “the Bling Life” is a lifestyle but it doesn’t have to consume your life. I mean, if you look at the top leaders and sellers in the company, they are working their business throughout their day. It doesn’t need to consume your life, but it does need some of your time and focus if it is going to grow. Think of your biz like a plant. It needs to be nourished and fed and then it will start to grow and thrive.
Bottom line – do you want to come out of 2020 stronger than you started? Do you want to have grown your business? Or do you want to backslide or stay in the same place. The choice is up to you, my friend. IF you want more – work for it. Push for it. You have to make it happen.
Focus on what you CAN control
Facemasks, Social distancing, delays from ALL the shipping companies, curfew, TP and cleaning supply shortages, school closures, working from home and Hybrid school are just some of the things that have happened in my life so far in 2020 and I’m sure you have been affected too.
Its easy to get frustrated by the current global crisis we find ourselves in. It honestly makes me want to curl up in my bed under a warm blanket and take a nap or watch some cheezy romantic movie that is predictable, happy and sappy.
But, I have kids I need to show up for. I have customers. A husband. Myself. As much as we want to take a pass or skip out on all the craziness going on around us, we just can’t. So instead, we focus on what we CAN control. The things we CAN do.
Can you landscape your backyard? Can you drop another album in your group? Can you organize your junk drawer? Can you spend some quality time with your kids? Can you create some Super Sets to show your customers? Can you go through your clothes and find some to donate to a charity? Can you organize your inventory? Can you start a family game night? Can you squeeze in another live show since the kids don’t have sports practice or games you have to run to right now? Can you set up a virtual meeting to chat with a friend about the biz?
Whatever that looks like for you – these are things you CAN do. Things you CAN control. Use this time to tackle projects you’ve been wanting to get done or to grow closer to friends and family. Or to start your new fitness goals or to drink more water. Or to re-connect with friends or team members on the phone.
By taking control of these things – you will like life is less chaotic and you will also get a sense of accomplishment once you complete a goal or task.
You choose. You can choose to be productive and to work your business and grow or you can choose to eat cookie dough and watch everything your video streaming service has to offer or you can do the same things you have been doing and be in the same place you have been. Its up to you.
So, are you going to leave 2020 the same and you came in or are you going to leave it better?