wrote a special newsletter for you today to share my top four strategies to manage change. It couldn’t come at a better time, right?

Wow, it has been a crazy couple of weeks. I have been reprioritizing daily and there is much more ahead, managing kids, school, my business and how to keep my kids safe, physically and emotionally. Can you relate?

It feels like I am moving forward, then pause, reprioritize, start again, and repeat several times a day.

This is a time where we will have to decide where our real priorities are! Work is important but so are our children, as I am sure you will agree.

Constant change is the new normal. Being able to adapt and be flexible with changes occurring daily; when school will begin, when actual classes will start, what links to use, and who will be doing what. I have to tell you I am a bit overwhelmed and concerned. Just yesterday for those children who are virtual learning we were supposed to get on-line so our kids can listen to videos and review safety before class actually start.

I went online and the links did not work. When I did get in the presentation, they are supposed to watch did not work. I just smiled at my daughter and said okay we will do it tomorrow today we will start your daily journal. What do you want to write about?  We both sat at the dining table and did our work. All we can do is Smile and find another way to approach it.

I realized I will need to take some time off to get my daughter set up for success. She is stressed enough about what will be happening and how it will all work. I think the most important thing is we have talked about is being flexible and realizing that things will be in a state of change for a while. 

As a coach and trainer, I teach the importance of systems and structures that help reduce disruption and here we are being continuously disrupted. Quite the shift in how we think and approach our day to day work and life.

I think the key thing here is accepting that continuous change is inevitable moving forward, it is the new normal for now. Choosing to move through it with ease will definitely make it all easier. I have involved the girls with what is happening for school and the part they will have to play to make it work. Reducing worry and stress and working toward being okay with changes and if they are uncertain about anything that they can talk to myself and their dad and we will work it out together.

Their mental state is most important right now. It is amazing what goes through the minds of children. When we talked about going back to school my youngest became very upset and she actually likes school. After a little bit of digging she told me that she was afraid of doing in person classes as she might bring the virus home and lose all of us and have no one to take care of her. We had already decided that she would do virtual learning to start and then see how it goes. So, we told her she would start school for home. She was relieved and disappointed at the same time. As she really wanted to see her friends. 

Some really big thoughts for a little girl. We will be having lots of conversations moving forward. I definitely don’t have all the answers and make lots of mistakes, however, I think the key is to keep talking to each other and really listen with no judgement. All feelings are valid whether we agree with them or not. 

I think you will agree that we all have mixed emotions about what is happening moving forward.

So here they are! My top four strategies to manage change!

1. Be willing to laugh a lot, especially when another change shows up

2. Take care of yourself, and make sure you take breaks. (Meditate, walk, stretch, step outside for some fresh air, etc.). Do what it takes so that you can embrace the changes and keep laughing

3. Stay in communication with your family, team and anyone else in your circle

4. Really listen to what people are telling you. Practice active listening in all areas of your life with not judgment. 

I truly believe possibility is everywhere, don’t give up, keep looking.