It’s a strange feeling being in business at the moment.
Like many others I’ve spent the last week at my home in Molong in lockdown and I admit it can be difficult to stay focused and not waste time.
Every time I’d look out the window I’d see the numerous jobs I could be doing around the farm. I love farming and all that comes with it, and it provides me with a creative and physical outlet – downtime from my day to day of running MBC. I love it all: sitting on the tractor, fencing, spraying, feeding, building.
And then there’s the Olympics. Now that can be a full time distraction and usually I love watching Australia punch above its weight against the USA and the other power nations. But this time it just doesn’t feel the same. No buildup, No fans, and No atmosphere.
Covid-19 is bringing out the best and worst of people in the community. I think we all thought the worst was behind us after the initial lockdown, but now I don’t think so. Covid is going to keep us on our toes for a while yet. Politicians, health professionals, celebrities and those in the public eye are all weighing in with their own ideas and beliefs. But we are missing strong leadership and a unified approach to what we need to do as a country. The only certainty is that our future will be very different.
The uncertainties and challenges of the current environment makes it very easy to dwell on the negative and loose focus on the future, however we need to put this aside. I have used this time in lockdown as an opportunity to consider what the future holds for MBC, identifying the strategies that will carry us through the pandemic and take our business forward.
It is essential in these times of doubt and uncertainty that you make time to reset. Review, analyse, assess and find motivation in your purpose.
For me, this was reflecting on what we do well and what we can work on doing better, whilst keeping these current distractions in perspective. It’s very easy to head down the proverbial rabbit hole of “what if”s and become negative and overwhelmed. It can be difficult to find the right balance.
Consider the heroes in your life: successful people, successful sporting teams, great leaders. The one strength they possess is remaining calm & composed under pressure or uncertainty. They assess the situation, look at all the contributing factors and then make a decision on how to move forward. Panic, irrational behaviour or procrastination won’t help you, your business, nor the important people in your life.
Now is the perfect opportunity to spend time working on your business and it’s essential to be informed and prepared in order to deal with all the distractions in this uncertain time.
If you need some guidance in this area, or just don’t know where to start, the team at MBC are here to help. Whether that’s providing you with the relevant information, or working through your goal setting process, we can help you maintain focus and get set for the future, whatever that may bring.
That’s it for now. I’m off to feed the cows.
