Some Stuff Just Happens

Even if we’re great planners, there are things that sneak up on us and distract our focus. We feel like they’re out of our control. Gas prices go up and down, so we have difficulty budgeting. We lose a client or a customer. Our health insurance policy is canceled. We have to react and adapt to the things we cannot control. We feel like we cannot do anything about it.

Instead, we could simply stay focused on the things that we expected. The things that are going well. The things that are in full control. In fact, most of things that cross our paths in any given day are in full control. We each have stuff in our businesses and our lives that are like the Staples Easy Button. They work. So let’s focus on that stuff. Let’s be proud that we set all those things up to work most of the time. And at the end of the day, the unexpected is easier to deal with if we realize that most of our day works just fine.

The Doorknob of Opportunity

You know those people who see that doorknob across the room. They never stop looking at it as they go forward. They’re going to get there no matter what happens because they focus on it with determination. They might bump into the boxes on the floor. They might knock over a lamp by tripping on the wire. They push the furniture out of the way when they get stuck. Nothing stops them for long. Nothing seems to really get in their way. But because they never stop heading to that doorknob, the opportunity on the other side eventually becomes theirs because they just always knew where they were going. You cannot get where you’re going unless you know where you’re going.

Stop Complaining

I sometimes complain when I blow dry my hair and I have to go out into a windy, rainy day, only to have my hair fall flat and look like something the cat dragged in. I also complain when someone in the room listens to my spiel and just ignores me and even refutes me. But I’m not going to do that today.  Complaining to others tells them that we can’t handle our lives, or our professions, or our calendar or our days. We sound incompetent. We sound like we’re always disappointed in what happens around us. Complaining turns moles hills into mountains and ultimately into disasters.

Well I’m not going to complain this week because it’s annoying to everyone else. They might have their own mini disasters that are far greater than yours. No one is really ever interested in what’s going wrong for you. So this week if it’s windy and raining, I’m not going to complain. I’m going to keep the frustration to myself and show up big with the flattest hair on earth and people will still be glad I’m there.

And guess what, if I do it today it might turn into two days or even a week!

Make Yourself Memorable – in a Good Way

So what do you want to be remembered for? You only have a couple of minutes to get someone interested so they’re remembering you. You could say your name, your company name and what your company does. Boring.

Instead, tell them WHO you are. You’re the one who helps people. You’re the one who is always the “go-to” person when the computer crashes. You’re the one who follows up, follow through, and makes things happen. You’re the one who finishes the race, has good judgment or listens to what you’re saying. So what do you want someone to remember about you?

Let It Go!

I was watching a family arguing with each other on Dr. Phil the other day. Man, they were pretty nasty to each other. They called each other horrific names. They were taking sides with either the mother or the father. Kids were disrespectful. Verbal invectives were being tossed back and forth. They didn’t even have a clue how hurtful their words were.

I want to be around people who are more civil. So if someone says something insulting, even if it insults me, I’m just going to let it go and remember how much I like peace and quiet. I might even shrug my shoulders and let it roll off me. I will take a deep breath and pity the person who is in that state of mind that causes such harm and hurt. Remember, if you join in you’re no better than they are.