8
powerful strategies to swim while others are sinking
The storm is all around us. Stock-markets plunge,
economies around the world go into a tail-spin, and thousands lose their jobs
and their livelihood. Relationships break up under the stress, divorce rates
shoot up and millions across the world slide into debt for years to come. News
of doom and gloom is the flavour of the day, every day. Everywhere you look,
un-certainty and in-stability reigns.
How do we handle this storm that has come upon us? How do
we stay centred even as the world shakes? How do we swim while others are
sinking?
Here are 8 focused qualities that are powerful solutions
to a time of crisis, guaranteed to keep you calm in the storm of life.
- Have a willingness to make and follow hard choices Crisis forces you to take a realistic look at the bigger picture of your life and make some hard choices to move forward. Be willing to do this rather than resist it. Make difficult choices if you need to and demonstrate a whatever-it-takes attitude. Remember, it takes less energy to get an unpleasant task done “right now” than to worry about it all day.
- Have a personal vision Having a personal goal of getting out of the crisis, as it will become the light that guides you forward. A goal will motivate you and make it easier to take corrective measures while having no goal will just make you drift and lose direction through the crisis. Goals give you power. Choose not to waste your precious present life on guilt about the past or concern for the future.
- Set a clear strategy To reach the goal, plan a clear strategy, and communicate it to others who are a part of it. Plan your journey forward and walk the plan. It is a truth that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Simplify your life! Start eliminating the trivial things. Also don't major in minor things. Eliminate unnecessary commitments.
- Be persistent Probably the key quality to coming out of crisis is persistence a determined mind that just never gives up. Once your mind is set, stick to your target with Crab-like persistence, changing only if a better way shows itself. Practice consciously doing one thing at a time, keeping your mind focused on the present.
- Capitalize on opportunity There is good even in the worst of times. Identify this by looking deeply at how you can benefit in the long term from the current crisis. Be quick to spot opportunity and to seize it to your advantage. Warren Buffet, the world's best performing investor, is famously known for making his greatest and largest purchases at a time of crisis when everyone else is selling. Welcome change as an opportunity and challenge to learn and grow
- Be patient Be willing to wait for the reward of your efforts. Believe that the strong man is a patient man. A crisis has little flexibility for the impatient or the irritable. Take time to be alone on a regular basis, to listen to your heart, check your intentions; re-evaluate your goals and your activities. If your schedule is busy, prioritise your activities and do the most important ones first.
- Follow your vision with constant and constructive action Take positive and persistent action on a regular basis. Even if the results are not fast to come, trudge on ahead towards your goal. Take baby steps if you have to, but whatever you do, make sure you are moving ahead all the time. The direction you are going in is important, not the speed. Plan to do something each day that takes you one step forward.
- Stay optimistic The night is
darkest before the dawn breaks. Behind every dark cloud is a silver lining. The
sun shines even when the clouds cover it. The dark night leads to sunrise and
the day will end in darkness. Be aware of the larger movements and rhythms of
life and stay optimistic even as you go through this time of chaos and crisis.
You are bigger than it, and this is not the end of your life; it is just a
comma in the sentence of your life, not the full stop. Having a positive
mind-set is the greatest asset you can have in a time of inner or outer crisis.
