Sales Coach for the
Manufacturers Association Manufactures Agents National Association (MANA) Nicki Weiss has been giving
great advice as of late. GET, LLC and
other members of MANA are happy to have her and her powerful insight into sales. This week she sent this to manufacturers'
representatives like us at GET, LLC related to staying focused on our goals and
dreams:
"When my
children were little and I had a hectic work life, I secretly fantasized that I
would get into the car and just drive away. Of course, I never did. But I found
it comforting to retreat every now and again into this harm less daydream in
which I drove to a quiet, beautiful place where everything was slow and
peaceful and I could just be alone.
Many people harbor a
little private dream of what they would do if they just couldn’t take it
anymore and dropped out. Maybe their Plan B is spending six months working and
six months bumming around the world, or it could be moving to the country and
opening a bed and breakfast.
Here’s an unwelcome
dash of cold water on those blissful images of escape. We seem to be retreating
to them less often in this stressful, always-too-much-to-do business
environment. The hectic pace of our daily work is creating a fallout you
probably have not noticed.
A psychologist friend
recently told me that she is seeing a significant jump in anxiety and feelings
of overwhelm among her patients. She attributes this increase to a sense of
mourning for the death of their Plan B. Without these dreams of escape, we feel
we have no options or control. And a sense of at least some degree of control
over our lives is essential to our well-being.
The demise of Plan B
comes courtesy of reduced circumstances. A September 2013 Reuters poll found
that, four years after the most recent recession officially ended, many North
American adults are still struggling to recover financially. A Pew Research
Center poll, conducted about the same time, indicates 54 percent of North
Americans feel their household in comes have “hardly recovered at all” from the
downturn. So instead of daydreaming about one day saying, “Take this job and
shove it,” many of us have no choice but to put up and shut up.
This new reality is
making itself felt in every age group, even among those not yet launched in the
work force. We’re all concentrating on landing, or holding on to, a secure
position that pays cold cash. No room for fantasies.
In these trying
times, is it possible to bring back some feelings of optimism and possibilities? Yes, but you need to apply some discipline to the process. Here’s how:
Make a conscious
effort to put aside your “to-do” list for at least five minutes a day and take
that time to nurture your Plan B dreams. You might even come up with a way to
make them come true. Where and when can you daydream? Try Albert Einstein’s
method. He said that his best ideas came to him in the shower.
To keep your creative
juices flowing and manage your stress level, go play once a week for an hour or
two. Pick something you find relaxing and fun, but do it alone.
In our work lives, we
often can’t find the solitude necessary for the free-flow of ideas. Our
creativity is blocked by ringing phones, emails and meetings. By giving
yourself some relaxation time, you let your ideas percolate in the back of your
mind, away from conscious concentration. Kierkegaard swore by a long walk;
Steven Spielberg claims that his ideas flow while he’s driving; and a friend
extols the benefits of an hour puttering in the garden.
So begin your solo
activity, whatever it is, and stick to it. Just because the economy is still
suffering a bit, you don’t have to be. A new year is here."
Nicki says perhaps
finding your alone time can be first on your resolution list. Thanks Nicki.
For more about the
goods and services that GET, LLC can bring to your organization, please give us
a call at 671-483-0789 or check out our website at www.get-guam.com.