Different Ways to Play the Game of Business a Little Better

 

What happens when you have one of those days?

You know those days when it all seems too much.

You can’t see the forest nor the trees.

It feels all too hard.

The to-do list is massive.

And you barely feel like you’re making a dent in it at all.

You’re human and you simply feel like crap.

It happens to all of us.

No one is an exception to those kinds of days.

However, some of us have figured out better strategies/ways of coping and dealing with it.

There could be many ways to get this ball out of the bunker (legal and illegal on the golf course) and sometimes, we need to question, whether our strategies in life are helping or hindering our progress forward.

Some of us have strategies for dealing with these days, both when they come and also in preparation to avoid the likelihood of them coming or even to limit and minimise the damage done.

Do you know your coping mechanisms? What helps, what hinders and what’s enhancing your progress?

Here’s what I suggest when you’re having one of those days.

1. Phone Gratitude Note

For two reasons, firstly you pretty much always have your phone with you and secondly, you’ll start to see, how regularly you’re having these ‘days’, weeks, months or moments.

When it is in front of your eyes and you’re typing it into the phone, you REALLY have to stop thinking about all the bad stuff, get a dose of perspective and realise there is SO MUCH to be grateful for along the way. And oddly for almost every 1 thing that may be upsetting, frustrating or angering us, honestly, there is usually 2-3 things that will be amazing, opportunities and something to be grateful for.

We need to be able to shift our focus (the torchlight…). Now I have to admit, having read 1000x from the gurus at this, write a gratitude journey every night….. blah blah, it’s absolutely so NEVER EVER been my thing.

I might get a couple of days in (Ok, so that’s being generous) and then I stop (again)…. So I’ve stopped pretending the whole Diary concept is ever going to work. However I have to rather honestly and openly admit now, the Gratitude Phone Note is working.

Why? Because it’s quick, it’s to the point. I usually do it at the start of a morning, in my car, or take a 2 min break during work if things are getting to me.

2. Phone a Friend

Gotta have people on your team who can help you ride the waves, get out of the bunkers and make the plays. Doing it all solo is apart from being lonely, quite simply crazy. We have a plethora of connections in our phones, networking groups to go to, friends and family to talk too.

Unfortunately though despite all of those connections everywhere, many of us choose to disconnect rather than connect when we’re hurting or struggling. It’s easy just to sulk, sit quietly somewhere or even have a good cry than face another human and openly admit, this is feeling pretty crappy right now. So phone a friend and fess up, you’ll feel a thousand times better by being open about it.

3. Take a Moment and Do Something You Love

For most of our lives, many of us have run coping strategies the things, habits, routines we have in place to cope with certain things. Some of us eat, drink, run, smoke… etc. Sometimes it’s healthy and sometimes not so healthy.

Is it time to look for better ways to cope with things when the going gets tough? Rather than disconnecting with other humans and using other vices to fill the gap and void? Mine is to make music and to connect with people.

Music always brings a joy de Vivre to most situations (as long as the music choice and volume, doesn’t grate and make things worse… there are times when I have to tell my 7-year-old to turn it down, cause it’s just too much!)

Actually talking about it, writing about it, sharing, really helps you realise, how normal you are, how much support is out there and how baby-steps on days like that are ok to take rather than expecting yourself to fly.

Be kind to yourself. Keep persisting. Find different ways to help you play the game of business a little better.

Genevieve “Persisting” Matthews

 

 

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