Five Tips To Help You Get Back On Track

Some days are a real drag, I know.  You’re tired.  You’re beat.  You just don’t have it in you to tackle the responsibilities that are ahead of you.  I get it.  I understand.  Now snap out of it.  There is no room for a pity party in this thing we call life.  Guess what?  There are many more people who have it worse than you.  Yeah, sure I’m playing the numbers here, but the likelihood is that most of you reading this don’t really have it that bad, and you probably know that.  It’s just that something has gotten to you and you’re just about fed up with all the crap.  Am I right?  Am I right?

Well don’t give them the satisfaction.  Now is the time to dig down deep and give it all you’ve got.  It’s time to regain your focus and reframe things, but do not let that slight pause stop your progress forging ahead.  As my nutritionist, Joan Buchbinder, always says, “It’s ok to lapse, just don’t collapse.”  When you think of it, those are great words of wisdom.   Of course, she is talking about eating the wrong foods, but in life in general, it’s ok to stumble, just as long as you get up, dust yourself off and get back at it.

One of my students from last semester filled out a critique on my performance as a professor; he or she said that I was a Tony Robbins wannabe.  At first, I was a bit put out.  Here I am, trying to bring my experience to the class, to provide insight and help them in the world of marketing, and because I do it with passion, I am being reduced to just a “rah rah” motivational speaker.  But then I thought about it.  Even though the student was taking a shot at me, what’s so bad about aspiring to be like Tony Robbins?  I have to tell you, the dude professes some great motivational wisdom and helps a ton of people.  So here I am writing a Tony Robbins-type post (although I have to be honest, I have never read nor seen Tony Robbins, I just remember him from TV infomercials).

Life is hard enough as it is.  There are plenty of people who will dog you, criticize you, point fingers, and just surround you with nothing but a cloud of negativity, primarily hiding their own inadequacies.  You have all of these outside things impacting your life; you can’t fall into the trap.  You can’t become one of those negative influences, tearing down what you are all about and where you are headed. So I want to tell you what I do when life gets me down (believe it or not it happens).

First: I hug my kids and my wife and thank them for their love and support. If you do not have kids or are not married, substitute a loved one or a friend.

Second: I select a playlist of music, put on my headsets and crank the tunes till it blasts the negative feelings out of my body.

Third: I go do something I truly enjoy to bring back those good positive feelings.

Fourth: I make a list of the things I need to address and accomplish to get back on track.  Writing it down frames it up and makes it real for me.

Fifth: I Go Do…

Don’t let the negativity cripple you and prevent you from forging ahead.  I realize it’s tough, and at times, life is not easy, but find a mechanism to get you back on track. These five steps help me, so I wanted to share, but they are specific to me.  Find those things that help you, and always remember, tomorrow is another day. And if that’s too “Tony Robbins” for the cranky people of the world who want to dwell in misery…TOO BAD.

Screw them and get back on track.