November 23, 2016

How to Make the Best of a Bad Day

3 minutes

It's Like a Roller Coaster

Sales is more like a roller coaster ride than a cruise....there are good times that are REALLY good and then there are bad times that seem REALLY bad. When sales are up you give yourself credit for working hard and influencing your success but when things are bad it’s easy to feel a bit out of control.

On today's show discover:

...how to adjust your thinking so a few small setbacks don’t turn into a bad day;
...and tips for managing your tough days and getting back on track.

Bad days happen to the best of us and it can all start before you even get to the office. You wake up late, you’re out of milk, there’s grid-lock on the road or you can’t find your favorite shirt. It doesn’t take much to send us down the wrong track toward a bad day.

Put it in Perspective

Whatever gets your day off on the wrong foot, it’s important to put it in perspective. You know, now matter what is happening or how bad it may seem will it matter a year from now? Will you even remember this? Most of the time the answer will be no. Minimize those small annoyances and dismiss them so they don’t start piling up on you.

Accept Reality

Now you’re on the job and you just found out that shipment of widgets never made it and it’s going to cost you sales. So what do you do? The best advice? Accept reality. Accepting reality helps you cognitively and emotionally move on.You may need to switch from Plan A and start thinking about implementing Plan B.

Be Flexible

And that means you need to be flexible. When you’re having a tough day you might be falling into a routine...so try breaking it up. Make a change. Something as simple as moving to a new seat, taking a walk or working on something else can break the routine. I’ve even seen people say “I’m going to start over”. They get up, go outside, turn around and come back in. (it’s like a professional do-over). Whatever works, right?

Avoid Beating Yourself Up

Here's some great advice for you perfectionists out there, avoid beating yourself up. It's easy to dwell on something after it goes wrong. You might find yourself mentally playing out alternative realities, and what you could have done differently. If there are lessons to learn a review can be helpful. Be aware that it shouldn’t take too long or monopolize your thoughts. It’s just a learning opportunity and that’s positive.

If you can’t seem to let it go ask yourself what do you have to gain by spending all that time and energy on the past? Yes, the first couple of customers you dealt with today were difficult, so what? How do you benefit from thinking about them all day and letting those bad experiences influence all your other interactions? Instead, chalk them up to a learning experience and move on.

Summary

You have more control over your "bad days" than you might think. Bad things happen but your reaction and attitude determine how much they’ll impact the rest of your day. Just like a roller coaster ride you don’t need to stay at the bottom long.

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