As we wind up 2021 it’s time to look back, see if we’ve accomplished what we set out to do. Did we accomplish our goals? The year has been challenging and if your business is like mine, you may not have hit the numbers you were looking for. At times like these, it’s easy to be disappointed, I AM NOT! In fact, I’m elated. No, not elated that I didn’t hit my numbers this year (it’s the first time since I started this business), but elated non-the-less. Let me explain.
To quote author and renowned coach NaniLea Diamond, “The energy from which we create is the energy of which we create.” This is a widely recognized sentiment. In eastern traditions, artists frequently undergo some kind of calming, centering ritual before creating art because they want their art to reflect a sense of calm. In western cultures, the energy and emotional dynamic of artists such as Van Gogh are directly reflected in their work. From a leadership perspective, if you’ve ever gone into a meeting in a bad mode, angry, or with low energy, the meeting always ends up reflecting the energy you start with. In other words, negativity begets negative results while positivity begets positive results.
In my April 2017 blog, Are You Focusing on the Right Thing, I detail how focusing on the positive (success) breeds more success. With this in mind, it’s obvious that feeling disappointment can lead to more negative results, so how do we avoid that?
Where Does Disappointment Come From?
To understand that we need to look at where disappointment comes from. We get disappointed when we don’t get the results we expect, like not making your numbers this year. The question I have for you is simple, can we do everything perfectly and still not get the results we wanted? The answer is obviously yes. The news today is full of stories of things out of our control. Supply chain shortages that delay delivery and raise prices, skyrocketing inflation that devalues the dollar, workforce shortages, the list goes on. While it’s easy to say, “I should have anticipated or adapted to the new situation” the reality is we can only control what we can control.
Avoiding Disappointment
The secret to avoiding disappointment then is easy, stop being attached to outcomes. Surrender the results to G-d, the universal consciousness, fate, luck, or whatever outside entity you wish. None of us can control all of the variables so none of us can own the results.
Instead, look at every situation as an opportunity to grow. Trust those same powers, G-d, universal consciousness, fate, or luck to set up every situation perfectly for you to learn the lesson you need to learn, then be truly grateful for the lesson and the opportunity to grow and improve, finally, put the lesson to good use. Not only will you grow and improve, personally and professionally, you’ll inspire those around you to do the same and that positive energy will help you create something amazing.
For me, I look at the programs I’ve created, the businesses I’ve helped, and the people whose lives are better and I am so grateful that I’ve had the year to fine=tune and tweak my programs. 2021 was the perfect year to get that done.
What are you grateful for? How do you keep from being disappointed? Leave a comment and let me know.
