The other day I when I woke up, it was cold, grey and gloomy outside. Michigan had done something many midwestern states do at this time of year- teased us into thinking winter was over with a 70- degree day only to pull the take-away-close and place us firmly back into reality. The reality this particular day- snow flurries and a temperature that wouldn’t get above 40.
I really didn’t want to get up out of bed. Like many of you my original plans had been cancelled and I only had a few conference calls scheduled for later in the day, so what was the point? Would it really matter if I just stayed here in bed all morning? No energy- no motivation.
What did I do then? Probably the worst thing possible, I turned on the TV. Big mistake. No good news, nothing good happening, and no end in sight. As I lay there my mind started racing. When was this going to end? When can we get back to the business of life and the business of business? What am I going to do?
It was bound to happen sooner or later… I was FREAKING OUT!
I knew this could happen at some point, I’ve talked about it with clients, provided coaching and strategy for many to help get out of it, and even helped a few people over the past few weeks deal with freaking out themselves.
How could this be happening to me? I’m the guy that always positive and always has tons of energy. Normally I can’t wait to jump out of bed and get my day started. What the heck is going on here?
It’s then that I let out a quick laugh and took a long deep breath as I realized what just happened. The good news is I knew exactly what needed to happen next. Get to doing what I know creates energy and inspires me to get up every single day. Connect with people. So that’s what I did.
First thing first- I made myself some coffee- I mean come on I’m not crazy.
After that first sip, I sat down on my computer like I’ve done thousands of times before to start writing. Took a few minutes to crank it up, but once I got going the words just flew out onto the screen just like them have many times before. I have no idea if what I wrote that morning is any good because I’ve made it a habit to not edit anything until a bit of time has passed. This way I can be more objective about the writing and can freely edit myself without judgement.
After that I decided to go for a quick morning run on the treadmill followed by a few yoga stretches- getting older so this is a new requirement.
Got myself cleaned up and changed into some jeans and a sweatshirt and started connecting.
I’ve made it a habit to reach out to a few people every day just to talk, connect, re-connect or support any way that I can. Several people took me up on my offer. After a few energizing conversations I was back on track, back where I needed to be. Most importantly, I was no longer Freaking Out.
That’s it, that’s my formula. Simple I know, but really effective. Just like a Quarter Turn is meant to be.
Today I want you all to give yourself permission to freak out every once in a while, because guess what- It’s going to happen. These are times that none of us have ever experienced before. Hopefully we won’t ever have to experience this again. In the meantime, there is no playbook, no perfect set of instructions or training manuals on how we deal with our own set of circumstances. It’s just us, and we’re all in this together.
It’s like we are all living and re-living some version of that Bill Murry Movie- Ground Hog Day.
Just like in the movie, the monotony of re-living the same day over and over again is bound to take it’s toll. After a few meltdowns, the main character in the movie starts learning about what it takes to have a truly perfect day. Finally he figures it out he gets to move onto the next day. Doesn’t that sound familiar?
You are going to have those days where you’re energy is low, motivation isn’t where you’d like it to be, and wondering to yourself what’s the point? That’s ok, that’s normal. We call that being human. The goal here is to not have those types of days every day.
Decide on what your strategy is to deal with yourself during your own personal freak out. What are those things you can do to get yourself out of the funk, out of your own head, and back on track?
Who are those people you can connect with that can help you get through your most challenging days? We are social creatures and we aren’t designed to go through this thing called life all by our self.
Please share some of the personal strategies and solutions that you employ when you find yourself Freaking Out. I’m sure we can all benefit from them.
If you can’t find someone to connect with- I’m happy to take on the job that day
Cheers to you, your “freak outs”, and most of all your health
One Quarter Turn at a Time
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