Life is not always a bed of roses…..
At times there could be curveballs thrown at you… a few big… a few small….
This can happen when
– A favorite project gets cancelled despite the hard work you have put in
– You get snapped at by a customer for no fault
– Your co-worker, who also happens to be your best friend, gets laid off, unceremoniously
– You are overloaded with work and your boss assigns you some more
Whatever may be the situation, you always get a message from it that says:
‘No matter how tough life gets… you always get to decide what you are going to do and how!’
When things go haywire in your personal life, you can yell all you want, pity yourself or even cuddle up in a corner. However, you can do none of these when things start falling apart in your professional life.
Your behavior at work not only affects your productivity but also your professional reputation.
When you working hard and you know you are on the right track, situations such as these may appear very unfair. Even then, you have to take charge and deal with them, tactfully.
When a curve ball comes your way, all you need to do is dodge or duck. This requires you to modify your game plan, change your rules and alter your expectations. That’s the success mantra of most successful entrepreneurs.
Here are a few tips that can help you stay afloat and minimize your stress levels when things get thrown out of alignment:
– Be honest and real. If there is going to be a delay in delivering your project, so communicate the same to your client. There is a possibility that he may understand. Keep giving updates regularly.
– If you are not able to reply to your client emails instantly you can set up auto replying on your email. This way your clients will know that you will get back to them with a reply at the earliest.
– Try and set aside a few minutes for social media posts for the next few weeks or months.
– Make sure your workspace is organized and neat. Even if you have a tiny corner, make sure it is work-ready. Play upbeat music, keep colorful stationery or scented candles to keep you happy and buzzing.
– Train yourself to look at the positive side of things. If you have too much work, it means you are doing well and people trust your abilities.
– Set deadlines that are realistic. Under-promising and over-delivering works better than the other way round.
– Try to take that night off. You can just lie on that couch watching television. This will make you start afresh the next day.
– Take good care of yourself. Unless you make sure you eat on time and get enough sleep you will not be able to give your best to your job.
You may not feel perky at all times. There are times when you find yourself exhausted, stressed or bummed out. This is fine; but make sure it doesn’t stay that way forever.
It is not external events that determine the future; but your response to such events.
It is tough when your life starts throwing too many curveballs at you. Nevertheless, if you want to emerge a winner you have to take control of things and try and respond in a proactive manner. Failures are common; but don’t lose heart. Learn your lessons and move on with a new attitude and a new strategy.
Many people have made a career out of failures
Successful companies do not believe in just getting back into business after a setback or a crisis. They work on improving their capacity to deal with unforeseen circumstances and reinventing better strategies and business models. Building that resilience muscle is what they focus upon.
The best way to hit that curveball is to keep yourself engaged with the world without actually under or over-reacting!
It is all about paying the right kind of attention to that which needs your attention, and in the right amount!
So next time life throws that curveball at you, be stronger and show that you are capable of withstanding the impact.
Live your life! We get to live only once!
I would try and enjoy my ride instead of wincing at every curveball that comes my way. How about you?