This week is the week of my book launch. It looks very different to how I planned though. Pre Covid-19 lockdown I was due to fly to Auckland today, tomorrow I was due to line up alongside Mike King and other celebs speaking at a conference of 300 followed by a champagne evening in Ponsonby to launch the book. The following day was a leadership conference speaking engagement before a TV interview with TV3 on Thursday morning. After which I was due to fly back to Wellington to repeat the champagne launch that night in my home city.
It might have been one of those career defining weeks and then Covid-19 happened. We all know plans have changed over the last few weeks and with this has come challenges for us all as we grapple with the uncertainty and a massive change to our usual routines.
Following the global pandemic many media bookings disappeared overnight, along with all the live speaking gigs booked. The print factory went into lock down so despite being a month early on my deadline I'm still a week behind on getting copies delivered to those who've ordered.
So now I prepare for an online line book launch (with no books ironically) and a home haircut (which didn’t go as well as I planned)!
I could complain about the media disruption to my launch or cancelled speaking gigs, lost business and major inconvenience but it seems like a first world problem. After all I don’t have Covid-19, nor do any of my friends and family. This bump in the road is just that and it happens. In both business and in life. Learning to go with the flow and adapt is key to our resilience. Seeing each challenge as an opportunity rather than an inconvenience has shifted my mind-set in this space. There is always an opportunity and from our challenges we’re forced to think differently to adapt and grow.
The week that could have been though can be again - maybe it'll look differently, maybe it was always supposed to? If we have confidence in our skills and are grounded in our purpose the way it unfolds is sometimes out of our hands. Sometimes there's no right or wrong path just the path as it unfolds.
In hindsight it was a massive week – I’d have been exhausted by Friday but the point is much of this is out of my control and worrying about it will also exhaust me. Things change, plans don’t turn out. I’m certainly going to be much more relaxed now and my book still gets to launch!
I’ve also found I’ve learned a few lessons along the way. Lessons about going with the flow, accepting what is. Dealing with uncertainty and making the best of what comes within the hand we’re dealt – like lock down for example.
It’s another lesson for me in seeing the positive and looking for solutions. Yes it’s not ideal, yes I had other plans but that’s how it is – this is what is and I’m still very lucky to do what I do and have what I have.
So today I find myself in a different week that was ready to launch my third book and being grateful for what I can do even if it’s not exactly what I planned.