Calmness during chaos
Calmness during chaos
Get this image in your mind.
As your speed increases and the snow, trees, terrain rips past you, your lower body, legs, ankles, feet, skis are bouncing around in the chaos yet holding the direction you planned and practiced. Your upper body, arms, head, mind are calm, ever watchful and highly present in the moment with clarity and focus knowing exactly what to do and when to do it.
Business leaders feel the chaos all the time. The question is whether our upper bodies—that is our minds are bouncing around along with the chaos ripping by or are we holding our line, our direction.
Calmness during chaos of daily activities
How do you calm your mind while the activities, inbounds, emails, demands, criticisms, “good ideas,” complaints, demands on your time come pouring in? How do you achieve calmness during the chaos?
You plan your approach to the course of action. You plan it carefully, practice it often, set your line, your path, get physically healthy, mentally healthy and become ready for the day.
Most, if not all, well-executed activities had more time spent on planning, practicing, preparing than the actual activity took to do. A race is under 120 seconds. Most games are around 1-2 hours. A new product launch can be a day or a few weeks. A sales call 10 minutes. The practice and planning take a lot longer.
The cringe
Have you ever watched an unpracticed skier, heard an unprepared singer, witnessed a tennis player or football player who clearly wasn’t sure of the next move? (or business leader?)
You know the cringe that happens.
Turn on any of the reality shows and you get to see those who practice (and are talented) and those who aren’t.
Substitute the phrase business leader for each of the disciplines listed above and repeat those phrases. Ouch.
Planning and practice
Planning and practice are crucial for the big leagues, the big games. Business is the big leagues, the big game, the big race. Rushing in without a plan is foolish, unprofessional and not doing your job. Not having a plan causes others to cringe who have to witness it.
Do yourself a favor and those around you, those whom you lead. Learn your craft, become a master at it, train for it, practice it just like the downhill ski racer, the professional athletes. Practice, train, prepare and plan between “games” and even in the off-season. You can bet skiers are practicing right now for the next season. Be ready to execute well.
As you master your leadership, your mind stays calm knowing your direction and path, while chaos rips by around you. You know your next steps, you know what it takes to breakthrough to the next step.
Good luck.
Breakthrough the chaos and master your Leadership. It’s all about calmness during chaos.
“Dominate your life with Focus, Decision and Execution.”
