The phrase ‘winners don’t do different things, they do things differently’ is very common and poignant. The main thing that separates successful people from others is their amazing ability to course through the rough parts of life. When everything seems to be going wrong, successful people continue to count their wins. What are they doing different? Here are a few important things you should remember when you are facing adversity.
Take a break
During a stressful time, the last thing you would want to do is stop working. In fact, many people use their energy to work harder thinking that the problem will solve itself if you work at it long enough. However, you should be doing the opposite! When you are under stress and feel like nothing is going right, it is important collect your mind and look at the situation from afar. You won’t find the right answers standing in the middle of the mess! Take a step back and understand the problem in its entirety and we promise you, the answer will reveal itself.
Stop and get a reality check
Have you ever noticed that when you work long hours, your enter a hypnotic zone with a semi-automatic mindset? Getting into a monotonous cycle can take up a lot of your time and leave you no time or space to refresh your mind. In such a mindset, it can be hard for you to think creatively and take another crack at the problem. What you should do is stop working and find the big picture. Is the problem really that big that it could ruin your life? Is it going to affect you in the long term? Are you going to remember this five years down the line?
If the answer is no, maybe you shouldn’t be putting this much energy into fixing it. Most problems are rarely as intimidating as they seem because we often get caught in the trivial matters. Get a reality check every now and then to remind yourself of the things that are working in your favour.
Get external perspective
So far, you may have seen the problem only from your point of view. If you let it fester long enough it can appear to be much more serious than it is. Moreover, you are also likely to obsess over it and stop yourself from actually finding a solution. If you can’t find a way out, get a second opinion, and a third, and a fourth! The more people you involve in the problem, the more ideas you can get. Getting a second person’s opinion can give you a fresh perspective on the issue and even help you find new solutions. Don’t let your ego become an obstacle and cultivate the mindset that the ideas must come from you alone!
Stop moping, start planning
Time for the harsh truth – successful people don’t have time for moping. If you want to be successful, stop letting the issue define you and create a strategy that can help tackle it. If you fail, try again, and again, and again.
