There once was a time when your calendar was full, from back-to-back meetings during the work day to errands, social activities, appointments in the evening and on the weekend. You had ideas for your small business but there was never an hour or two during your week where you could bring that idea to life. And even if you did find the time, you were too exhausted and emotionally spent from your hustle in the days and weeks prior to do anything but binge the latest Netflix show. Rather than running at normal speed, it was as if the scenes of your life were being played in hyperlapse.

Now it’s as if a giant pause button was pressed. This global pandemic is forcing us to stay socially distant and remain in our homes. As solopreneurs and creatives, how can you use this time wisely where we are mandated to be inside? Instead of feeling shame when you get those weekly notices of how much your screen time has increased, what if you took some of these shelter-in-place hours and put them towards honing your skills? What does it look like for you to be productive in the pause? 

First, you must start with the end in mind. What do you want to be able to offer clients at the end of this? Is it a new product? A service? An activity? Alternatively, determine what goals you have for your business or hobby that you can actualize in the next 2-3 months. For instance, perhaps you want to make more latent income, or you want to expand your business from making products to teaching others to make products. 

Then, figure out what steps you need to take or skills you need to have to get there. You might need to gain proficiency in a software, or understand how financial planning works. You might need to know how to teach, structure and film a course, or how to paint with watercolors instead of your usual acrylics. When you break your goal down into small steps, it becomes easier to accomplish! (I’ve actually written another post that goes into more detail about this here). 

Finally, what can you do to develop those skills and accomplish those steps? Take a class online? Set aside daily practice time? Reach out to a business mentor? Listen to podcasts? Set aside daily or weekly time to do these things. By inserting these small rhythms into the pause, it creates some diversity in our days, stimulates our creativity, and builds new skills for your portfolio. Fast forward to when the pandemic is over, and you might be more inclined to intentionally keep these activities in your rhythm. Even though you might not be generating income through this type of activity, the time you spend productively now can attract new clients and new business in the future!

For me, I’m working on my pointed pen calligraphy. I’ve traditionally used brush pens, but know that I can charge more for pointed pen and it is the style often preferred in the wedding industry. I’ve been practicing this skill every week. I’m also planning on publishing another class on Skillshare. I’m hoping this class can double my latent monthly income so I can add it to my savings goal this year. I’ll need to learn how to film better to make my class more desirable to potential students.

For more thoughts on this, I would recommend these recent blog posts from Seth Godin.: 

But what could you learn instead?: https://seths.blog/2020/04/but-what-could-you-learn-instead/

Get better clients: https://seths.blog/2020/03/get-better-clients/

We are living in unprecedented times. One day, when the play button is pressed and life returns to a new normal, let’s be able to look back with gratitude for the time we were given and how we were able to be productive in the pause.