How to Survive the Tough Times
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Look… Let’s be honest. There’s no "one size fits all" solution to survival
during challenging times. But there are some strategies that will help no matter
what situation you and your business are in.
The first strategy, for starters, is not to take things too seriously. I know
that there can be significant consequences as a result of the things we do or
don’t do, but in the big picture – in the scope of things that REALLY matter –
these consequences are incidental. Have you ever heard the expression, "Don’t
sweat the small stuff, and everything is small stuff"? When you put the everyday
occurrences of life into perspective, most of them don’t really matter all that
much.
It’s more important than ever in tough times to keep everything in its proper
perspective. "Things" don’t matter all that much. It’s nice to have toys and
gadgets, but toys can be replaced and we can still enjoy life without every
latest gadget. Yes,… it’s important to make a good impression, but as I’ve said
over and over for many years, PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO YOU BY WHO YOU ARE. People
aren’t attracted to you by the suit you wear or the toys you have. It’s "who you
are as a person" that causes people to be attracted to you, choose to do
business with you, and decide to follow you.
Don’t get me wrong, toys, gadgets, and suits are nice to have. My point is
simply that if you have to forego some of them in tough times, it won’t have
much bearing on your success. Don’t take things so seriously. Instead, during
tough times, be the best "you" that you can be. A good place to start is by
working on your attitude. People want to be around positive people. In addition,
positive people are more creative. When they are faced with a challenge, they
decide to overcome it and are solution-oriented. Negative people tend to focus
on the obstacle and get "stuck".
How do you work on attitude? Extraordinary times call for extraordinary
measures. Cut out the negative messages. Stop watching TV news. Stop reading the
newspaper. Trust me. In this day and age, you can’t help but hear about the
really important things. There’s no need to seek them out (along with all the
negative news and stories). Avoid negative people. What you focus on determines
your reality. If you hang around with people who see everything in a negative
light, you will see everything in a negative light. It will become your reality.
You can see where I’m headed with this. If you want positive things to happen in
your life, hang out with positive people. Positive people share what works;
negative people share what doesn’t work. Your present reality will slowly shift
to a more positive reality as you associate with positive people..
If you really want to kick your attitude into high gear, don’t just eliminate
negative messages, decide to introduce positive messages. Get your hands on some
tapes or CD’s that will help you grow. Listen to motivational and personal
growth programs. Will you notice an immediate change? No. But you will over
time…
About the Author
Written
by Michael Beck, an Executive Coach and Strategist specializing in
employee engagement, executive development, and leadership
effectiveness. Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mjbeck
and visit www.michaeljbeck.com
to learn more.
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Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2008-12-09 12:06:19 in Personal Articles
