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Hey Elizabeth!
You read that right. A puppy. 4 weeks ago Norm became a big brother to Cliff an 8 week old chocolate lab. He's adorable and so sweet and has ALL THE ENERGY ALL THE TIME. Both Hank and Norm arrived to us a little older so a puppy has been quite the adventure around here. It took about two weeks but Norm is starting to realize that Cliff is here to stay. Somedays Norm is more okay with it than others. But what I've noticed is how my business has had to accommodate a puppy schedule (she writes as he naps and we all pray he stays asleep). So this month here's 3 Things That Happen When you Get a PUPPY:
- Sleep is a hot commodity! The fight for who gets the 2 am wake up and who just gets up about 5:30-6 am with the pup is a constant discussion. We're at 12 weeks now so we get a good 6 hours of sleep out of Cliff most nights. BUT being tired constantly also means needing to adjust my schedule for clients so that I can do my best work when I'm alive and kicking and not dragging. And some days those time slots are different. Knowing that you have an afternoon slump or are more productive in the morning or later in the afternoon is really helpful as you're planning your work day, meetings and tackling projects.
- You're on Their Schedule - I'm grateful that it's summer and I can just move my office into the backyard. But when Cliff is napping I get work done, and when Cliff is awake we work outside and my productivity goes WAYYYY down. I've adjusted when I schedule calls and have to think through crate time and naps. We have times in our life where our schedules have to change from their routine. Thinking through each day helps to ensure you don't end up with an accident or dropping the ball on a client.
- Your Other Pup Gets Clingy! I wasn't expecting Norm to be SO CLINGY once we got Cliff. He is always by my side (I'm still shocked I haven't broken a leg or arm from tripping on him yet) and way more needy than I was expecting. Making sure that he gets to daycare a couple of days a week, and we have some "us" time is always good. This can happen in business too -
 you take on a new project or role and other clients/projects start to feel neglected. Make sure that when you take on a new big project/task/client/puppy you pay attention to what got you there.
Okay, I've made it through writing without him waking up...
Cheers,
Elizabeth & Norm & Cliff!
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