I have found the last couple of weeks to be very hard. Investment markets have rallied and the fear of seeing markets falling has passed, but we’ve been left with a massive amount of administration to do. Its taking up more and more hours and I’m not spending as much time as I would like with my son. I can see this happening, but don’t seem able to change my working pattern to free up time to spend with him. I will try harder again next week.

Part of the reason we are so busy is because we are looking to upgrade and improve our client proposition and this is a very time consuming process, which isn’t necessarily very rewarding in the short term but will be beneficial in the longer run. Clients don’t see the hard work that goes on, nor the significant sums of money we spend / invest when completing the research. 

We’re still on the back foot financially because of the unexpected change to our insurances and Regulatory requirements which couldn’t have come at a worse time really and are not related to covid-19 directly.

I worry about my team although I saw one of them for the first time today as we agreed a (socially distanced) jigsaw puzzle swap after they dropped into the office to check on any incoming post. That was a ‘feel good’ moment.

The virus itself has got closer recently, with people I know very well being very poorly and in one case sadly passing away. It makes the threat all the more real, even if I consider myself to by young and fit (well fitish!) and therefore I am not a vulnerable person as such.  

And then I feel bad about being worried when I see other people who have lost their jobs and face uncertain financial futures and I wonder what I’ve got to worry about myself? My family are healthy, my staff and clients are healthy and my business is surviving albeit taking up a huge amount of my mental energy. My problems are very ‘first world’ and pale into insignificance compared to some.

So cheer up Dave, next week will be better!