You probably know it well. That sinking feeling in your gut where you feel like you just got punched by Tyson. Heart-pounding, head-throbbing, room-spinning agony. We’ve all been there. Perhaps it was losing a huge client, a key team member jumping ship, or a major technology glitch. Or maybe it was a sharp scolding from a boss, an unexpected job loss, or that big setback you’ve been dreading.
Oh shit.
These are the moments we fear; the ones that nightmares are made of. The times when we feel powerless, overwhelmed, and are left spinning with hopelessness and despair. You’re not alone…Every great leader, hero, and champion has had them too.
The real question isn’t whether or not you’ll experience this acute terror. Assuming you are pursuing anything worth doing, you will. The question becomes, how will you react?
Some of us cave to the pressure. We roll on our backs like helpless dogs exposing their vulnerable bellies. We allow ourselves to become victimized by the event, and relinquish our power to the callous circumstances. We let things happen to us.
Luckily, you need not suffer this hapless fate. Instead, you can regain your power and use the setback as a “teachable moment.” Rather than judging it, you can look at it as information that is helping you grow as a person or organization.
Throughout my own career building startups for the last 21 years, I’ve had my fair share of these moments. But now looking back, each of these painful setbacks turned out to be a blessing. In fact, many of my biggest breakthroughs came just after events that appeared to be devastating losses.
Often our biggest moments of growth come from our darkest moments of adversity. Life has a funny way of teaching us and sometimes those painful wake-up calls can be just the jolt we need to effectuate change. In these moments, you have a choice. You can cower in the corner like a guilty child, or you can use the sting as an opportunity to strengthen your resolve. You can own it, take personal responsibility, and leap into action with unwavering commitment. Even when it’s tough and you want to hide.
The most successful people have bad days too. We all stumble, but the champions don’t let speed bumps derail their journey. Instead, they look straight into the abyss and extract every valuable lesson that can be gained. And you can too.
That dreaded “oh shit” moment will likely crop up when you least expect it. The next time it does, don’t run from it. Seize it. It’s simply an opportunity for you to shine and grow.
Great Article…
Josh,
In business you learn to take the highs with the lows……I remember my dad saying to me just after high school, “It’s not what happens to you in life it’s how you handle it !” Then Zig Ziglar said “if the doctor gives you medicine and you react to it , that is not good. If you respond to it, that is good. ” Meet adversity head on do not hide from it, do not blame, take 100% responsibility and learn from it………
Your Attitiude determines your altitude.
Eagles soar…..
As always the Monday Morning Blog is perfectly timed and so amazing. I lived through some of these setbacks this past summer however, the blessings and new opportunities that have followed could have never been imagined.
Great article Josh. It’s in those oh shit moments that we can get lost and not keep our head screwed on straight. It would be awfully boring if we didn’t have an “oh shit” here and there. Thanks covering this.
This is great Monday morning situation. The reaction and previous feedback is appropriate because situations like this makes you stronger and wiser. If you hide from these types of situation you are destined to repeat it until you over come it. This allows you to move forward and overcome potential future obstacles. As the saying goes, if someone gives you lemons and you are thirsty make lemonade. There is always a lesson to learn, which dictates how you approach any situation. A positive attitude normally drives a positive result, as in: learning something you did not know before regardless if it is good, bad, right, wrong or indifferent. What you do with that information is another story.
Josh, as usual you hit the nail on the head by bringing the reality check into all of our lives. This article is motivating to me and is a reminder as to why we do what we do everyday as entrepreneurs. Like you said, the “oh shit” moment will pop up but as an entrepreneur you must stay focused and weather the storm. If you do and you’re surrounded by people that believe in you and your vision this to will pass.
Cheers my friend!
Though I agree, I don’t think the recovery from the low is an instantaneous decision we can make. As a career coach,I see the pressure clients put on them selves that this is supposed to be automatic -within a moment recovery. What happens then is more worry about failure, because they are supposed to do a magical turn around, they cant seem to do.
Sometimes it does take a day, week, month or even year to see the impact of a harsh lesson and redirect. May it be rolling over on our bellies, staring at the wall for a day, or holding a full on pity party- it is part of the process at times. when we scramble to rush the recovery, it s often for a quick fix and lost is the lesson that if experienced would have lead to a greater point.
Good encouragement especially for those of us who are “peacekeepers” and dread confrontation.
Right on Josh. Good stuff. Sometimes two steps forward and one step back is the way to go.