Friday, December 30, 2016

Resolutions, Social Media and What Life is Really Like

Social media used by companies or individuals is full of our annual highlights.  These highlights are true and honest and something to celebrate and definitely the type of energy to put out in the world. It is never a representation of all that we are.  I am going to take a moment to do what most business owners don't do.  I am going to tell you the behind the scenes, the worries and the life that does not appear on social media.  I navigate these on a day to day basis fairly successfully but hey, they still exist and they are still a part of who I am.

1.  Deadlines, I mean DEADLINES. I don't remember the last time I had a day when there wasn't an emergency project that came in that rearranges everything on the priority list.  Honestly, this is something I love about my job; no day is the same.  And it is something I have to work on.  There are times when I am not enough and cannot work fast enough.  There are times when I cannot have the follow through in the time frame requested and I worry.  I think no one will be happy.  And there are definitely times when all of the arranging in the world does not make me a faster writer or capable of creating good work in the amount of time given.  I hate the feeling that I am failing someone's schedule even if all of the good communication in the world cannot buy me extra time in their world.

2.  My co-workers.  Have I talked with my coworkers enough, are they connected to our vision? Do they need anything?  Are they happy?  Have I asked them how their day is at some point this week. . .this month.  Have I looked up from my hurricane of busy to see how they are doing in the midst of their own hurricanes and am I giving them what they need to learn, grow and love their jobs?  These questions whirl about in my head.

3.  Will I fail. A few times a year when I am sure no one likes me, I will indeed fail and not be smart enough and I must sell any extra "stuff" I have at home to prepare for this impending doom.  It does not matter that the financials show we will be here next month or next year.  The facts don't matter. This is a feeling I get when I am personally feeling the push pull of wanting to improve as well as balancing my work.  It is fear based thinking and it has no place in my positive brain.  Sometimes it rears it's head anyway.

4.  How do I refuel myself.  How do I personally handle the life of stressful deadlines every day for people that I care about and not carry that stress with me everywhere I go?  I care about the outcome for them.  This ends up as things like:  Put down your phone Kori.  Seriously.  Just for an hour, put down your phone.  Exercise.  Laugh.  Be yourself at work.  Breathe.  Let go of all of the rest when you walk out of the building.  You see, as a business owner, you get calls at night.  You answer.  You think about the next best plan.  Your brain is always working on a project.  So, I work on giving my mind a break as best I can.

5.  The things I never get to.  Gosh - I should blog more often, I should tell people more about what we do, I should tell people that I can save them time and money and I know how.  I need more time. Why do I not have more time?  Refer to item number 1.  I have so many goals.

And then there is this life of appreciation I lead: for my coworkers, for our amazingly wonderful clients, for being a part of their businesses growing and sharing that success.

I don't make resolutions, I make plans.  I manage the fears above and keep moving in the direction that I believe creates a company of integrity, honesty and unmatchably (yes, I realize this is not a word) talented people.  We laugh and use humor to deflect the external pressure and encourage people to be themselves.  And I am honest that we will never reach our goals because the target will always move, will always improve, will always propel us into the next initiative.

A tough day does not mean a bad life.  A negative thought does not mean it needs to be shared.  It is important to still share the positive, but it is also ok to still be human.  Here is my wish for 2017 for you:  I wish that you encounter more good than bad.  I wish that we lift each other up whenever possible.  I wish that the positive vibrations we put into the world multiply (see the 2017 heuss printing calendar).  I wish you health to accomplish things that make you joyful.  I wish you perspective that your work matters.  I wish you a year of growth, development and happiness.