021 942 502
Thursday, 23rd April, 2020
As we near the end of lockdown, we're touching base with more of the Ignite Board on how lockdown has been for them. Today we hear from our new vice chair Celia Crosbie.
๐ช๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ-๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ? (๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ-๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ) I work from home mostly anyway and am used to having remote ๐ฅ๏ธ online meetings with my awesome team and clients. I also juggle running a business with being a mum, so the lockdown hasnโt really changed anything in that respect. Right now Iโm sharing the Home Office with my husband Hamish and our two children aged 6 and 4 ๐
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ป?
I definitely feel like we (as a family, community and society) have been given a chance to pause. Iโm actually really enjoying the pause; it makes me realise how busy our lives have been. Iโm loving going for bike ๐ฒ ๐ฒ rides in our bubble, going for walks and doing different activities with the kids. Iโm enjoying catching up with friends online that I wouldnโt normally catch up with in person. From a business perspective, Iโm enjoying watching, being part of and collaborating with other service providers to โsupport localโ at this challenging time financially.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด?
Juggling home schooling, working on the business, dividing parenting/work responsibilities between Hamish and I, and the emotional rollercoaster ๐ข ๐ข that comes with the uncertainty of a lockdown. That and the fact that I canโt go out to catch up with clients and friends, or go to my hairdresser ๐ ๐ or support my fave local retailers๐ ๐ and cafes ๐ฅ ๐ฅ ๐ฎ โ .
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ "๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ"?
Venturing out in the morning for walks, planning the evening meal at breakfast๐ฅ ๐ฅฉ ๐
๐ time with the family, making special brunches and lunches more often, organising FaceTime playdates, making marble runs, driveway hopscotch, baking, doing plenty of chores around the home, working on the business and having children run into the office during Zoom meetings.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ต๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต๐?
Exercise and fresh air make a big difference. I find that if I get outside first-thing, I set myself up for the day. I use my walks to focus on what I need to do work-wise as well as chilling out and getting the heart๐ ๐ rate up. When I find myself feeling a bit down about the sheer enormity of the pandemic, I try to concentrate on the things I can control and look for the opportunities, personally and professionally.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐'๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฑ-๐ญ๐ต?
โข Put your people (your team, clients, customers) first. Encourage a two-way dialogue. Communicate with your people often but be aware of timing and external factors that may impact the way they receive your information. Donโt forget to listen.
โข Where possible, think about the opportunities for your business once we return to the โnew normalโ.
โข Be kind to yourself, as well as others.
โข Keep yourself informed via trusted media and relevant information sources. But limit your Covid-19 reading time โ it is easy to feel overwhelmed and bogged down by it all.
