Wednesday Wisdom: The Waiting Game
Wednesday Wisdom, Hump Day, Business Advice for Women Entrepreneurs, Female Business Owners, and Small Business Owners
Sitting dutifully on a small chair in a bright elementary classroom, students wait until their turn to get up and proceed down the hall to gym class. Raising one’s hands to be chosen to answer a question in class was another waiting game through high school. Then came time to wait until a thousand names were read before yours to receive a college diploma – another example of patience needed in the waiting game of school.
Quietly waiting isn’t necessarily the first image conjured up when someone thinks of a woman entrepreneur. Images of packed schedules, lined-up client appointments, phones ringing off the walls (okay, maybe texts lighting up the phone), and working 24-7 are more like it. Even trying to get into a packed restaurant, standing-room-only conference, and a foursome tee-time requires hang time. Now during the pandemic waiting has become a way of life providing a snail-like pace filled with apprehension.
After last Wednesday’s attack on our nation’s Capitol our country was in an intense waiting status with nerves lingering until the 46th President and first female Vice President are sworn in safely. Sometimes weeks feel more like years, and years feel like weeks depending on your viewpoint. As I wait in quarantine with a husband who was diagnosed with Covid-19 on Saturday, my days have slowed down, time almost standing still, waiting to have the go-ahead to live life fully again. With no symptoms of my own, I remain diligent in my practices which means doing business and living in a space blocked off from my husband who is slowly improving.
If you are “waiting” for new clients to call you, the world to open up again to conduct business as usual, take my advice, use this continued down time to appreciate the normal and annual parts of your business like tax work, marketing reviews, quarterly business planning, or website assessment. Stick to the black and white tasks.
Today’s Wednesday Wisdom is to remind you there is a multitude of things you can do when faced with a quiet period. Don’t mix up those boisterous Hollywood images of corporate America energy with what’s true for solo entrepreneurs and small business life because it is different. We move at our own paces based on our industries, time of year, and even time of our lives or special circumstances.
Before you and I know it we will be back in the swing of things with more duties on our plates relishing the good ole’ quiet days when we were simply waiting.
Women TIES 