Bad days happen. Most seasoned entrepreneurs have their ways of mitigating those and even turning them into a positive one. But what happens when our “doomsday” scenario comes about?
Founder of SocialCow and equity partner in a number of other ventures, Kristina Centnere faced that scenario and turned to her Instagram network with some tips on dealing with the “worst day.”
In the beginning of her IGTV, Kristina authentically admits that she is going through such a scenario, motioning to the timely saying on her shirt, “C’est la vie.” And while there are levels of “doomsday” for everyone, Kristina shares strategies that allow anyone to gracefully handle such an occurrence:
1.Know when to stop trying to fix it. While your immediate reaction may be to correct what is wrong by all means necessary, you have to discipline yourself to respond with a set number of actions. Before acting, breathe and write out what you can do right now that would mitigate the situation. This will help you separate the emotional reactions from productive responses. Once you have acted upon that list, which should contain no more than three steps, stop. Let the dust settle.
2. Focus on the good. While it may feel like your life is falling apart around you, put your focus towards anything that is going well. Even if 13 things are on the “not going well” list, focus on the one thing that is going well. It will give you a more rational view of your current situation and give you energy to handle the rest as it comes. Where energy flows, it grows, so concentrate on growing the good.
3.Fortify your mind and body daily. A big part of being able to handle bad and worst days is having a daily mental and physical health routine. Kristina names her daily mind-body routine as a big part of the reason she is able to handle bad days with even more posie than she imagines: “I start my day by listening to various mindset audios and even if I don’t get to the gym, I workout at home. The best thing I do every day is listen to what my mind and body need at that moment and be able to discern mental and physical cravings from their underlying cause.”
4. Actively learn from it. Rather than keeping it all in your head, make a list of what you have learned from the situation and how to prevent it or manage it better next time. Then, act on them. Tweak and refresh your processes, strengthen your documents, and take other steps to prevent this from happening again. “As an entrepreneur – as a human – you will make mistakes. But if you make it a point to actively learn from them, you will not only improve but you will stop being paralyzed by them.”
5. Reach out to professionals. While your instinct may be to go into hiding or vent to a friend, Kristina recommends reaching out to professionals first when handling a business “doomsday” scenario. “Venting to a friend can help you feel good momentarily, but during a high-stress situation, it is wise to reach out to emotionally-unattached professionals who can help you mitigate, resolve and learn.” Kristina adds that while her first call was to the person in charge of the situation, her next one was to her coach. “Managing your emotions and actions is a journey. Asking for professional help with that is as important – if not more – as having good legal counsel in your corner.” Make a list of professionals you would contact to help you deal with your “doomsday” scenario.
To connect with Kristina and view her tips on marketing and business, visit her Instagram.
