Not Today Covid. Not today.

As I slowed my puttering outboard, the Loon family of three welcomed me to the west side of the lake with their lonesome evening call. I had traveled north to the family cabin for a few days of chill time. Walleye were on the mind and, hopefully, on the menu. As I cut the motor and drifted over my favorite drop off, I suddenly felt a tiny twinge in my throat, and a bit of dryness in my sinus. "Huh." I thought. "I wonder if I'm getting a cold? Allergies? Maybe Covid? Is that still going around?"

 The next morning I was flat on my back, as if Mike Tyson himself laid a nasty left hook on me and dropped my lifeless carcass to the mat. Covid 19.

The next five days were horrible. Aches all over. My head felt like it was filled to the very edge with Elmers glue. If I was awake it was for less than two hours. If I slept it was the sleep of the dead, yet somehow disturbed. Zombies must sleep like that. Dead but yet, not. That was two weeks and two days ago. I've recovered, thanks to Paxlovid and sleep. Even now, some effects still linger. Covid is no joke. It kicked my ass. For a bit. What might any of this have to do with your fractional journey? There's a parable in here. And it's one of my favorites.  

Man plans. God laughs. 

As fractional pros we plan and plan and plan. We plan to accomplish big things for our clients and our own businesses. But as we all know, even the best laid plans are susceptible to getting knocked off their axis. Most of the time we can absorb a little change here and there. Even a big change from time to time. But as I reflect on my little bout of Covid and how it changed my plans these last few weeks, I cannot avoid thinking beyond me to the broader "Us" in the world. I'm quite sure none us were ready for the changes 2022 has had in store. In droves, interruptions have come into our lives, paying zero consideration to the plans we had laid out so well. Western water reservoirs are drying up in a 1,000 year drought. Putin continues to wage his arrogant war and rattle his nuclear saber. Roe v. Wade overturned.Existential threats to our democracy. Mass inflation. Baby formula nowhere to be found. Five dollar gas. In years prior any ONE of these would be the story of the year. Today they may not even make the story of the day. One of the effects of all of this dramatic change is it has slowed decision making. Stagflation in other words. Investing in growth takes a good measure of optimism. 2022 so far has drawn the shades over optimism and caused a lot of businesses to simply pause things for a while until they feel a bit better.

This too shall pass. 

As the tectonic plates of our economy and our world shift underneath us, reach for something firm. Something that will be there when the shifting stops. As a fractional pro, there are three things you can grab tight for steadiness and count on for stability when all of this change completes its cycle. Your own value prop is one.What makes you great, your superpower, will carry you through turbulence and be a very reliable force when things resume. Sit on a rock and think about yours. Write it down. Use our lessons to sharpen the pencil if you need to. Your value prop is a steady limb to grab. Your second source of stability is your people. The people who surround you in your fractional career are very stable shoulders to lean on. You too get to be their source of stability as the world gyrates as bit. If you need to build up your people population you can certainly start here and get engaged with new fractional peers. Your third source of stability is actively giving. Yes, giving. The decision making slowdown we are experiencing now will come to its conclusion sooner or later. Businesses will invest optimistically for growth again. The market will turn to the positive. Cooler heads will prevail. How much you help others now, whether that's making a simple new connection for someone, giving them an hour of your time each week, or sharing an important piece of news about their industry, the help you give now will plant your feet in firmer soil. 

 I am still suffering a bit of covid fog, so perhaps this weeks news and views went afield here and there. Or maybe I split the uprights. Who knows. But I'm glad to be back in action never the less, (hopefully) helping you along your fractional journey. 

Do something different today because tomorrow is no guarantee.

John