Client Magnets Official Blog

Have you ever watched a professional tennis match?  Watch the players at the end of each point, they have a ritual they perform, whether they win or lose the point, it’s always the same.  One of the rituals I’ve seen them do is to play with the strings on their racket between points.  Those strings were acting as a focusing technique, a way to keep out the distractions of the crowd and the other player.  It was a method to clear the screen and focus on the next point.  It was almost like they were pressing a delete button, so they could go into the next point with no emotional residue from the last point.

Think about what those tennis players were doing and how that could help you.  If you’re allowing your past experiences to influence your ‘next point’, you’re doing yourself a disservice.  This is the case for both positive and negative experiences.  If we dwell on positive experiences, we could become complacent, even arrogant.

The negative experiences will leave us fearful and unwilling to take risks.  Put the past behind you; focus on where you are now and what’s in front of you.

Don’t let one setback lose the game for you.  It’s happened to all of us at some point, where something has happened and we didn’t think we could recover from it.  For me, it was ten years ago, I had a deal lined up.  I thought it was a done deal, everything was in place, but the contract had yet to be signed.  It fell through.

I had put all my eggs in one basket with this project.  When it fell through, all I could see were those hundreds of thousands of pounds of revenue disappearing and I had no safety net.  My calendar was clear for the next three months for this client and it was a major setback.  So I certainly know what I’m talking about when it comes to setbacks.

How can you handle a major setback like this and not let it affect your focus?  You can handle it as just another bump in the road.  If you’re expecting a smooth road, then any setback is going to be jarring, but if you’re expecting that you are going to encounter bumps in the road, then your attitude is different.  You’ll think, “Okay.  Here’s a bump in the road, guess I’ve been lucky so far, how do I respond to this?”

Don’t dread the bumps, I say welcome them, they’re all part of the journey and they help shape you.  You may not be able to see how or why those bumps are there and how they’re shaping you.  It’s difficult to see it when it’s happening, but if you can have the perspective that they’re not only shaping the journey, they’re helping you, you’re going to have a different attitude.

If you have that different perspective on setbacks and you couple that with a firm resolve to reach your goal, you’re going to succeed.  If your resolve is weak, you will fold at the first challenge you meet.  So welcome the bumps, stay firm on your goals.

Be prepared for the setbacks. Welcome setbacks because they may very well be what make the journey successful.  After the setback, hit the delete button and move forward.

Bernadette Doyle is a small business marketing expert. Get more tips and advice at http://www.clientmagnets.com

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