When the Going Gets Tough, Get Going!

As the year 2018 draws to a close, it’s a great time to reflect and evaluate ourselves. Where are we now? Have we done as much as we were able to? Did we step up to our potential? Did we truly achieve our goals or were we content with being busy? Did we balance activity versus progress? How does the future look?

All of us face challenges and problems which seem too difficult and insurmountable. We doubt our ability to handle these and we allow them to cause us stress. Are we guilty of trying the same tried-and-tested solutions and approaches? Or do we have an ostrich-mentality and wish the issues away, hoping that inaction will make the turbulence go away? Self-doubt, anxiety and performance pressures extend their torturous tentacles in our minds. Very often, we do not take the time or effort to define or refine the problem statement. And the ghosts begin to rule!

We have often heard some of the following principles:

KISS (Keep it short and simple)

80:20 – focus 80% of your time and effort on 20% of the critical (urgent and important) items which will, in turn, give you 80% benefit/reward.

Attack is the best form of defence.

Count your blessings – look at the positives, celebrate wins, build on your strengths, look at the glass as half-full.

Attitude, skills, knowledge – and the greatest of them is “Attitude”.

Are we missing the woods for the trees by taking these principles in isolation? Diamond and carbon are the same core material – the only difference is the refinement process. Time, heat and pressure are enablers. No one achieved anything in life, no impact was made without a few sacrifices and learning situations along the way.

As Gandhi said, ”Be the change you wish to see”. When the going gets tough, get going. Face the situation head-on and accept reality. Vow not to get bogged down. Have the strength of conviction to keep chugging on and be assured that your efforts will bear fruit. Put one foot in front of the other and prepare for another day of battle – the challenges in life and business are there to make you a better person/competitor. Remember, you were made to win. Let this show in your attitude and soon it will rub off on your family, team and organization.

As we inch toward the New Year, take time to evaluate how things have panned out this year. Be honest as you note what worked and what didn’t, where you could have tried harder and better, where you could have sought timely help -whether in your people or business processes.

As this year draws to a close, we wish you all the very best in the coming year – 2019. May you aspire to inspire! Show the way! Be bold – make that bucket-list – you’ll be amazed at how much you would have improved as you sit down same time, next year to look back, look forward.

God Bless!