No one wants crazy
Lately, I have been doing a fair amount of small talk and catching up with friends. Many of them have asked the question “how is business going”. I found myself answering with “it’s been crazy” or “I am just trying to keep up with all that’s co
ming in”. Most people, including my not so distant in the past self, would be ecstatic to have an answer like that. After all, this is where we get sayings like “strike while the iron’s hot”.
Digging down deeper than the surface success, which I am constantly looking for ways to do better, there is more to this story than what it seems. There is more to life than work hard to increase momentum, momentum comes and strike while the iron’s hot. In fact, “striking while the iron is hot”, if you are not careful can easily fall into a “strike now, because I’m afraid this won’t last”. If we are honest, if I am honest, that is potentially the stronger drive. Fear of loss is what most sale training programs will say is the most powerful motivator for people to respond. That’s fine and dandy if you are the sales person. It’s not so good if you are the buyer and it is certainly not a fun way to spend your life, salesperson or not.
So as I’ve been analysing my own situation, I have learned a couple things. “Striking while the iron is hot” with a fear motivation is mentally exhausting. There’s gotta be a better way. There has to be an option that doesn’t lead to deathbed thoughts being consumed by a lifetime strand of “striking while the iron’s hot” instead of a lifetime of appreciation for all the experiences we had with all the people we got to experience them with.
So what’s the solution. First, recognize signs in your own life that you are succumbing to fear of loss. Then take a step back, some deep breaths and move on to the next step. Second, write down things that need to be done as they present themselves, simply so you don’t have to remember them and can quit allowing these items to consume mental brain power. Third, go over your list each day with the thought of who else can handle some or most of these items. If you don’t have that person yet, begin visualizing all the characteristics you want that person to have. Also visualize the feeling you will have knowing that person is “nailing it” and doing everything correctly and probably better than you would. Lastly, use your intuition to decide your own efforts, one task at a time. Practice getting quiet and calming yourself before moving to the next task and asking the questions, “what feels like the next right step”. Don’t over analyze this. Be easy about it. Remember the mantra we’ve talked about in past blogs. “Everything is always working out for me”. Maybe add in this mantra too, “the iron is always hot”. I’m going to add it, while I simultaneously lose the response, “it’s crazy”. No one wants crazy.
