4 Lessons from a Crazy, Hectic Start to 2018

Post written by Missy Johnson, Principal, MJMeetings, LLC | Meetings Consultant | Gourmet Food & Wine Enthusiast | Sports Fan

You might have noticed that I haven’t been able to send a blog post out over the last couple of months.

I promised all the way back at the end of 2016 to be better about making it a priority, so I take full responsibility for letting the blog ball drop, as it were.

But I have a REALLY good excuse. (sort of)

I’ve been very busy with client work during the first half of 2018.

While I’m focused so much on executing high-quality meetings and events for my clients, the cold hard truth is that writing blog posts gets repeatedly pushed down my ever-growing To Do List.

It’s not just that I’m busy. I’ve found that when I’m “in the weeds” with work my mind isn’t very ‘creative’ or ‘open’ to thinking about blog topics or coming up with ideas that might resonate with my audience.

But I’ve learned some lessons…and gotten some much-needed reminders…so far in 2018:

1. Find some “balance” amid the chaos.
   Despite having some very stressful days and working long hours in my home office, I find it helpful to have some downtime on the weekends where I really don’t do anything but catch up on sleep or TV shows. I also make ‘self-care’ a priority and make time for yoga at least once a week and some morning walks when Mother Nature cooperates. Oh, and I’ve been religious about getting a deep tissue massage every 6 weeks. It makes a HUGE difference in how I feel.
2. Everyone needs a “Mic Johnson”.
   During all the late nights and hectic days quarantined in my office, my partner in life and work, Mic, is there to pick up my slack. He takes care of all the little things – laundry, dog care, car care, home care – and, some of the big things – bookkeeping for home and business, managing our personal/life calendars and navigating my daily moods. He does all of this while also ‘cheerleading me on’ through the stressful days because he knows it takes a lot out of me.
3. Remember that tone is important.
   When I get busy, I tend to get even more direct in my communications. Sometimes my emails or texts can seem curt or even rude if I’m not careful. In the last couple of busy months, I’ve been humbled a few times by people in my life. They’ve let me know that I might need to slow down a little and pay attention to my tone to ensure I’m sending the message that I really want to send. This was an important reminder to me and one I need to be mindful of at all times, but especially when I’m busy.
4. Remind yourself that you can’t control everything. 
   As a self-diagnosed ‘control freak’, I try to control everything and everyone during the busy times. Boy, I’ll tell you, it’s exhausting. Reminding myself once in a while to focus on the things I really can control (and letting the rest go) is a good exercise and one that I need to continue to work on.

Can you relate to my observations in your own stressful and busy work? What tips do you have to share that might help all of us control-freaks?

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my blog and for your support of MJMeetings. Please keep us in mind if you know of national associations, nonprofits and businesses who could use some help elevating their meetings and events.