Why do individuals and corporations wake up one day stuck? You know how it is—feeling “burnt out.” What’s the point—it’s just another day of the same people and money issues, and nothing is really going to change. Where is the passion? Where is the focus, the dream, vision, determination, and excitement? They have been replaced with the all-powerful overwhelmed feeling of I just need to rest. We have all felt this pain at one time or another.
Is it pain, worry, fear, or simply exhaustion? Perhaps it’s a combination of all four. I like to call it terror. Now, you may not want to admit it, but if you dig deep enough that’s what it is. An overwhelming fear that you have made a mistake, that maybe you can’t figure it all out and perhaps there is no golden ring, just the painful realization that you have to fight the battles all again tomorrow. This is business hell and a terrible place for the leader of any organization to be.
Doubt followed by fear spirals down over and over until it reaches terror.
So how do you snap yourself out of this death spiral? You fight fire with fire! In other words, confront your emotions with stronger emotions. Get angry! Screw you fear—if we’re going to go down, let’s do it big! Two emotions cannot occupy your mind at the same time, and the stronger one always wins.
The first problem with your business is inside of you. I know you want to rest, but you will be dead a long time—rest then. For now, get up, stretch, eat a light meal, and get out of the office. See your customers and employees and confront fear head on.
How do you sustain your anger? Turn it into determination. Look at worst case scenario and decide that you can survive the worst, and then start out right now to make it better. Action wins, period.
