As you may be aware. The Atchley Financial team has been adhering to the stay-at-home order for the last two and a half weeks. That means that our team has been working extra hard to eliminate any interruption in service by routing phone calls, attending daily zoom meetings, using Marco Polo for quick inter-staff communication, etc. We are truly blessed with amazing clients who have been patient with us as we do our best to serve them from remote locations. We have certainly learned many processes that will help us in the event of a future catastrophe.
A recent Wall Street Journal article contained some sage advice during this time of sheltering in place. (Who thinks up these terms?) A few suggestions from the piece:
- Make your bed first thing when you get up. Stand up straight. Comb or brush your hair. Dress in clean clothes. Don’t spend the day in pajamas.
- Make a daily schedule and stick to it. It should include brain work, physical work and exercise. Keep your muscles tuned.
- If you are not working, undertake a project—start to learn a language, say. Take an on-line college course—something tough enough to absorb your mind. Hillsdale College has excellent free courses on the US Constitution and other historical topics.
- Keep yourself and your home scrupulously clean. Do yard work if it needs it.
- Keep connected to others through all the various means.
- Expect nobility—in yourself and others. Never complain. Keep politics, anger and hatred out of the house. They are toxic. There will be plenty of time and occasion, when this is over, to resume your contempt. For the moment, give up ranting on Facebook or Twitter.
- Believe in the Constitution. Read American history—especially about episodes of great crisis: The Civil War, the Great Depression.
Take a look at some of the ways that the AFG team are adjusting to this temporary lifestyle.
Sincerely,
Allison Smith
The Atchleys
At the Atchley home, Les and Janet rise early every day of the week. They maintain their normal morning routine. The only differences are the relaxed attire and the commute to Les’s office just a few paces away.
Les and Janet’s home is located on the top of a hill about one thousand feet higher than the city. From Les’s home office, he sees Lake Coeur d’Alene, the Spokane River winding around a bluff and heading west toward Spokane, Washington. He also sees the city of Coeur d’Alene, the Rathdrum Prairie, and Mount Spokane, still topped with snow. All in all, not a bad place to work.
While Janet continues to maintain the house, she has adjusted well to maintaining AFG’s operations from home. She pays company bills from her office in their home, taking care of taxes and all bookkeeping for both the firm and the family. In her down time, she takes time each day to read a novel.
They have five-year old Siamese twins, Holly and Louie. Holly follows Les around all day, often lying on his keyboard until he pets her for a while. Louie cries until Janet stops what she’s doing so he can go to sleep in her lap. Siamese cats are quite demanding.
It seems to Les that our productivity as an office is just great. He thinks our staff is doing a super job for our clients.
The Tannebergers
Mike and Aimee keep to their normal routine as much as possible. Mike, Aimee, and the kids get ready for their day before heading to their designated spots for online school or work. The main difference is that with such a short commute, from the kitchen to the home office, they have been able to get to work a lot earlier than normal these past few weeks!
Mike’s office is in the basement, which he is so grateful they were able to finish a few years ago. Aimee’s office is in the upstairs of the house and she has a nice big window looking over the neighborhood. The cats are in heaven having the whole family home and they love being allowed in Aimee’s office to chatter at the birds outside.
They spend their weekends outside as much as possible and try to do a variety of activities including chores, painting rocks, bike rides and more. When all else fails, they tune into Family Feud for a bit of mindless fun!
Allison Smith
Allison is grateful that she and her husband Jason purchased a home last year. It is so much bigger than their rental home, so they both have their own office spaces. She enjoys having her husband and her dogs, Zelda and Remi, close by as she works.
Allison tries hard to stay connected with family. Every Friday night she has a zoom meeting with her extended family to play a game. Their favorite so far has been Yahtzee!
On the weekends she takes the extra time to be creative and work on projects. She looks forward to starting a crochet project this weekend.
Chelsey Fuhrman
Chelsey makes time to get outside every night after work for a hike, walk, or bike ride with her husband Luke. Luke is a young doctor in Coeur d’Alene. They moved here last year from South Dakota so Luke could start his career as a family physician. Staying connected with their friends and family has been very important for them. Both Chelsey’s and Luke’s family have weekly zoom get-togethers to keep in touch.
Chelsey’s office in her home also contains her exercise equipment. When she leaves work she can jump right on her treadmill or bike for a quick workout. She also enjoys being able to see her husband more often.
The fact that they are sticking to a schedule and ensuring some exercise and fresh air everyday has kept her positive!
What are you and your family doing to stay happy and healthy during this time? The AFG team wants to hear from you. Always feel free to call or email us.
Stay safe!