I woke up this morning feeling a little bit uncertain. It is a wintry 36 degrees here in the Chi as I am typing this. Flurries are possible today as the city enters in to new advised restrictions due to a COVID-19 surge with state wide restrictions looming on the horizon. It is NOT a fun time to be a restaurant owner, wedding vendor, or part of live theatre or events. The holidays are normally a little busy with gift buying and lots of hours worked to make money – especially in the above mentioned industries. But right now? None of that is happening.
We are relying on 9 tables outside to try to keep our 200 person capacity restaurant afloat. We have delivery + takeout of course. We have been pretty creative (at least I like to think so) with regards to an online store, ways to order from Gene’s, menus, holiday specials and more but it is just never enough to be honest.
So, how do I handle that? Well, yesterday I went to see my horses and that is always a HUGE help. Not only do I care deeply about them which makes spending time with them so comforting, but I also work with them and train with them. So they give me this additional gift of physical exertion, mental focus (I must live in the moment with them or it ends badly), and then a sense of accomplishment that normally I don’t feel much these days. What else do I do? I write lists. And more lists, and then more lists. I go over every single inch of every business that I am responsible for and make sure that we are doing our utmost to use this time wisely, stay top of mind with customer and potential clients, and also make the most of every physical and virtual space. From updating websites to refurbishing baseboards, it all goes on the list. After that, I remember to say thank you and be grateful for all of the good. I try to meditate a few times a week, typically in the morning when my husband is still sleeping (or already gone for the day when he opens the coffee window at the restaurant). Other than that, I read as much as I can about restaurants, operations and what is happening in the restaurant world because of COVID. I participate in calls and conversations to learn as much as I can. And I have faith, because what are my other options? I do enjoy a good afternoon spent at the Freeze & Float spa in River North and will be writing more on that this week. THAT is definitely something I would recommend for self care.
Sharing a few clips of video from my training session with my Serafina over the weekend. Hope you enjoy xo
