There are two kinds of people in this world:
1. Those who steep their teabags once
2. Those who steep their teabags twice*
Let me explain.
In a previous life, hubby and I used to drink a ton of coffee. However, since my acupuncturist wagged her finger at me and told me I need to cut waaaaay back to 1 cup per day** — David has joined me in solidarity… and has taken to drinking herbal tea throughout the rest of the day.
One morning, I noticed a buildup of teabags, one after the other, in a little bowl on our counter. In a rare effort on my part to keep things clean, I started to throw them in the compost bin.
One day, David caught me tossing his latest collection. “What are you doing? I was saving those!”
“For what?” I asked.
“For my next cup of tea,” he answered.
“Yeah, right. I’ve never seen you reuse a teabag.”
“But I want to. And one day, I might.”
That’s when I realized those teabags were not trash. They were little wet bags o’ hope, that we might get a second cup of tea from the same bag.
Maybe it’s the shelter-in-place talking. Or my comfy pants. Or the Zoom meeting background photo-induced hallucinations. But this little action was a sign to me that change is possible. It was an optimistic reminder that we can do better. That things will be better. That we could all use an extra dose of optimism right now, not just at home – but in business, too.
I’m not gonna lie. Things are tough right now for the Pebble team. But I’m sure they’re tough for you, too.
There’s a *bleep*ton of things happening to all of us that we don’t have control over.
One audiobook that I’ve found helpful during all of this is about behavior design, called Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything by BJ Fogg. It’s a good listen (or read if that’s how you roll), and it has me thinking about business in the time of COVID-19. Check it out.
Real talk, mkay. We don’t have (as much) control (as we think we do) over what happens. But we do have control over how we respond. We have control over WHAT WE DO.
This pandemic will challenge the ‘go big or go home’ mythology that business holds dear. So, what if this time isn’t about making ginormous, sweeping, seismic changes? Instead, what if it’s about focusing on the small, positive steps that move us forward (emphasis on small).
Tiny actions coupled with reflection and iteration just might help us get to the other side of this.
Two questions that have been helping me lately are, “What can I control? And what matters?” (I keep this little Venn diagram on my desk as a reminder. Maybe you’ll find it helpful, too.)
Diagrams, diagrams. Venn will they end?
Practically speaking, I’ve been reframing how I stay connected to clients and colleagues. For example, I’m sending more video notes to say hi and check-in. It fills my bucket (or cup, in this case) and my clients enjoy it, too. Small. Incremental. Action. And maybe a cup of quaran-tea, for good measure. *wink*
In the spirit of taking small, hopeful action: send a message to someone you know, love, or who needs to hear from you. And take care of yourself and your family. Be kind to each other. We’ve got this.
*Spoiler alert: I’m team reuse-your-teabag, for sure.
** Fear not. I’m a rebel and I still have 2 cups each morning.