Editor's Note: There has been a small order change in the chapters for this series. Yesterday's post was based on the fourth chapter of Don't Sweat The Small Stuff and today's is from chapter three. Please forgive the confusion and enjoy.
From the Book: Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff by Richard Carlson
Part 3: Let go of the idea that Gentle, Relaxed People Can’t Be Superachievers
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To Chill or Not to Chill. Those are the Options…
Is inner peace what you want? If so, what’s your plan to get it? My number one objective is to have peace of mind in all that I do. Whether I’m writing, working out, having a conversation with a friend, working on a deal, watching tv, reading a book, dreaming, planning, goofing off, etc; whatever I’m doing I plan to be at peace while doing it.
I think that inner peace is what we all want, yet we have our own way of going about getting it. As Part 4 suggests, some of us feel that we have to be loud and irate in order to make things happen, and in some cases this is actually true but not in all cases.
“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far" ~Theodore Roosevelt
Last week I had a situation in which I wanted to get loud and irate with a colleague because I wasn’t getting any results. It bothered me because the colleague sought out our services and when we delivered, I couldn’t reach this person.
This ticked me off because it wasn’t just about me and my time, it was about the team and their time too. With each day that went on that I didn’t get a response, I began to get more and more worked up and I was so ready to tell this person about himself and then cut him off. However, I decided to simply address my concerns sternly yet respectfully because it wasn’t just about me and my time.
First I decided to reach out to another resource that could deliver what we needed. Then I sent a stern message to him letting him know how displeased I was and how what he was doing was not good business.
“I don’t chase ‘em, I replace ‘em” ~Biggie Smalls
I did get results, and we’re now moving forward with this colleague. The other person that I reached out to is now an opportunity as well! At the end of the day, the guy was simply busy with a few business and personal issues, but still, a simple note updating me on when he might be able to respond to my questions would have been valuable. I patiently and respectfully followed up for 4-5 days straight only to get partial answers which was not acceptable.
I realized that I didn’t have to get bent out of shape in order to get results in this situation. In some cases remaining calm will work out fine, however, in some cases it will not. The key is to be prepared for either result in advance. Knowing in advance that our best might not be good enough can reduce the stress of things not going exactly how we plan them to go.
~Matthew
Food for thought…
If someone is repeatedly trying to reach you and you have too much going on, just let them know when you can get back with them or that you can’t take on the task. People will appreciate your honesty and respect you more for it.