It's easy to be happy, driven, and motivated when things are going well.
The true test?
How you handle adversity.
THREAD: 8 principles to guide you when the going gets tough.
The true test?
How you handle adversity.
THREAD: 8 principles to guide you when the going gets tough.
Perception:
"Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems" -Epictetus
Often our worry about what "might" happen or what we perceive to be a problem far outweighs reality.
Take a measured approach.
Facts > Assumptions
"Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems" -Epictetus
Often our worry about what "might" happen or what we perceive to be a problem far outweighs reality.
Take a measured approach.
Facts > Assumptions
Control what you can control:
Many times in life our emotions are driven by trying to control that which we cannot.
Frustration & anger creep in clouding our judgment, taking a bad situation & making it worse.
Narrow your focus -> Control what you can -> Be far more effective.
Many times in life our emotions are driven by trying to control that which we cannot.
Frustration & anger creep in clouding our judgment, taking a bad situation & making it worse.
Narrow your focus -> Control what you can -> Be far more effective.
Response:
"Between stimulus & response, there is space. In that space is our power to choose our response." -Victor Frankl
When faced with a difficult situation, only one person chooses how you respond.
You.
Take your time, weigh the potential outcomes, choose wisely.
"Between stimulus & response, there is space. In that space is our power to choose our response." -Victor Frankl
When faced with a difficult situation, only one person chooses how you respond.
You.
Take your time, weigh the potential outcomes, choose wisely.
Temperance:
The Stoics defined temperance as our ability to moderate our behavior.
AKA self-control.
The ability to make decisions based not on what we would like to do but rather on what we should do is a forcing function for addressing difficult situations more effectively.
The Stoics defined temperance as our ability to moderate our behavior.
AKA self-control.
The ability to make decisions based not on what we would like to do but rather on what we should do is a forcing function for addressing difficult situations more effectively.
Accountability partners:
A trusted advisor, spouse, close friend, any of these will work.
The criteria?
You respect them, trust their judgment, & know they'll hold you accountable.
Someone to lean on, ask advice, & bounce ideas off of when times get tough is a game-changer.
A trusted advisor, spouse, close friend, any of these will work.
The criteria?
You respect them, trust their judgment, & know they'll hold you accountable.
Someone to lean on, ask advice, & bounce ideas off of when times get tough is a game-changer.
Slow down to speed up:
"Festina Lente" - "Make haste, slowly." - Augustus
When faced with adversity, our response is often to "right the ship" as fast as possible.
Instead, take it slow on the front end of a hard decision.
You'll save exponentially more time in the long run.
"Festina Lente" - "Make haste, slowly." - Augustus
When faced with adversity, our response is often to "right the ship" as fast as possible.
Instead, take it slow on the front end of a hard decision.
You'll save exponentially more time in the long run.
Understand things won't always go your way:
"Misfortune weighs most heavily on those who expect nothing but good fortune." -Seneca
Live with your eyes wide open.
Knowing there will be hard times allows us to not be overwhelmed when they come.
Remember, "this too shall pass."
"Misfortune weighs most heavily on those who expect nothing but good fortune." -Seneca
Live with your eyes wide open.
Knowing there will be hard times allows us to not be overwhelmed when they come.
Remember, "this too shall pass."
You're not going to die:
Ok, we all are someday, but it's unlikely it will be due to a single failure.
Understanding it's ok if you get it wrong is freeing.
The knowledge that life will go on, even if you fail, allows you to make bolder decisions and push through trying times.
Ok, we all are someday, but it's unlikely it will be due to a single failure.
Understanding it's ok if you get it wrong is freeing.
The knowledge that life will go on, even if you fail, allows you to make bolder decisions and push through trying times.
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I write about mental models, productivity, and building a better you.
• Retweet the first tweet and help others find this thread
• Follow me at @blakeaburge
I write about mental models, productivity, and building a better you.
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