The Martial Mentor is back!
And WOW did some things happen over the past few months!
You need this article; we all do right now. Whether you’re a business owner, a parent, a student of Martial Arts, or just someone that stumbled across this, this post is for you.
The focus?
How to turn a Crisis into an opportunity for Greatness.
Before we get into this, though, I need to clarify: at the time of this writing, the world is in the grips of a global pandemic, COVID-19. In no way am I, at all, implying that this is a good thing. In fact, it’s a disaster by every definition.
What I’m writing about now is why some people and small businesses seem to be thriving, and why so many others are failing.
I’m here to cover why some people found Greatness through Crisis, and how you can shift your mindset to find your personal greatness.
1) MINDSET
The most powerful tool you have in your arsenal is your own mind. Without the right mindset in a crisis, decisions become based in fear instead of progress. Fear-based decision-making is focused on not failing; Progress-based decisions are focused on getting better.
Here’s some examples of fear-based vs progress-based decisions during a crisis:
Hoarding supplies vs. setting up automated deliveries of necessary items
Fighting to keep things the same vs. looking for ways to adapt
Hoping to keep a job vs. developing a new skill set to be too valuable to lose
Notice, there’s nothing wrong with any of the above decisions. As humans, we naturally want to fight to keep things the same. We hope to keep our jobs. And, during a crisis, we definitely want to make sure we don’t run out of anything, so hoarding is only natural, too. But there’s an obvious difference in the second set of options: they solve the same issue, and improve your situation after the crisis.
Have you set up automated deliveries yet? Or even just placed an order for pick-up at your local grocery store? Have you learned a new skill with all that at-home time now? Have you found ways to adapt your lifestyle? These fundamentally change our lives for the better.
So, how do you change your mindset?
There are shelves of books written about this very subject, but I’ll highlight just a few:
– Stop any negative “the sky is falling” intake.
Personally, I’ve unfollowed all sources of fear-hype and negativity in my social media. I haven’t watched any news station in years. Overall, just be mindful of what you allow your brain to take in, and control your intake.
– Start each day with a mind-meeting.
Some call it prayer; some call it meditation. Really, just take a moment with a pen, paper, and a pick-me-up beverage of your choice (coffee is good). Your goal is simply to check your mind: what do I want to accomplish today? is there anything I have to change to meet the new challenges?
– Surround yourself with people, books, and videos that are dedicated to growth.
Seek out inspiring and motivated people to follow, and then use those avenues to find others who have a mindset of positive progress.
I personally like the YouTube channel of Evan Carmichael. His channel is dedicated to collecting videos of motivational celebrities and high-profile business owners, and listing them into “Top 10” quotes. It’s a great day-starter.
2) Adapt
I mentioned adapting in the last one, but it deserves it’s own note.
In my area, at least 4 other martial arts schools have closed down since the start of the COVID-19 crisis. To my knowledge, none of them adapted to the changes brought on by the pandemic.
What’d we do differently? On day 1, the larger cities around us (Dallas and Austin) declared the shutdown of businesses. I immediately purchased webcams, audio equipment, and began researching Zoom, a video conferencing platform. On day 2, I trained my staff on new protocols for Zoom, handed over equipment as needed, and notified our customers of the changes. On day 3, our city announced the closing of businesses.
Our Team and customers had already been notified, and the systems were already in place. We adapted to the crisis; in business terms, it’s called a Pivot.
This is an important part of any successful business. Think about Blockbuster and Netflix.
So, how do you adapt as a parent?
When the order went down to have employees work from home, many people had to convert their living room into an office. With the kids now home from school, too, chaos ensued in almost every household.
To prevent this, many parents had a few strategies.
First: create a daily schedule. Schools have schedules; businesses have schedules; successful homes have schedules.
Second: designate a “do not disturb” routine. It could be a sign on the table, having headphones in, or I’ve even heard of people wearing a silly hat or headband. Anything that lets the kids know that now is not the time
Third: encourage self-sufficiency. Build a snack kit in the morning, and allow the kids to get their own snacks, but when they’re gone, that’s it.
3) Grow – And Track It!
When everything else seems like it’s staying stagnant, or even losing ground, growth seems impossible. The bigger issue, though, is when you look at the past 3 months and think, “Wow, I haven’t accomplished anything!”
That’s a good way to break that positive mindset we discussed earlier.
So, take a moment at the end of each day and journal what you did. Have the kids do the same!
Then, when you’re feeling low, go back and read what you accomplished during this time. Every small goal counts!
4) Don’t. Quit.
If you’ve been really paying attention, you’ll see that each on of the tips on here focuses on positivity. The real stuff; not the fake “smile and you’ll feel better” type.
The situation sucks. You feel it; I feel it; your neighbor feels it.
That doesn’t mean you have to throw in the towel. When you feel low, think about what you’ve made it through already. Think about what you’ve accomplished. This will end someday, but that doesn’t mean you need to go back to the way things were.
You’ve grown; you’ve improved; you’ve learned.
You’re gonna come out the other side of this better than you were 6 months ago, because stress forces change.
Remember, it takes massive stress and pressure to create diamonds.
You got this.