What Works: Why pain is actually a good thing
Submitted by editor on Mon, 05/12/2014 - 10:51am
Those of you who read my column on a regular basis know that I have recently renewed my commitment to fitness. And, let me tell you folks, I’m sore. I’m not just “ow that sort of hurts” sore. I’m sore like, when I stand up, my legs wobble like a baby horse and I limp to wherever I’m going sore. That’s really sore.
There are two things you can do when you are sore. You can get up and move or stay stationary as possible, dreading the moment when you have to get up and feel the pain. After my trail run at Jack’s Valley last Saturday, I made a mistake. I sat still. Unfortunately, when you stay still, you give that lactic acid a chance to pool up and it actually hurts more if you don’t move. So, when I woke up Mother’s Day morning, guess what? I felt like I had just given birth.
What does this have to do with business? A whole lot — It hurts when you hit a bump in the road in your business. Bumps in the road come in all shapes, sizes, and dollar amounts. You could run into regulatory issues. You could lose a contract. Or maybe the weather change gets to you and you just get sick. The important thing is that you not sit still, because it hurts more when you do. You lose a lot more when you lose momentum than when you push through and find a solution. Believe me. You will want to sit still. You will want to mourn the loss a little and regroup. That’s normal and necessary. But, when you consciously choose to hang on to that too long, it stalls forward momentum.
So how do you get moving?
1) Assess the situation. How did you get to where you are today? What is the issue you are dealing with? Too many people stop right here and that just prolongs the soreness. To really recover, move to step two.
2) Stretch. Based on what you are dealing with, figure out how you can stretch yourself to accommodate for the soreness. Do you need to learn a new skill? Increase capacity? Expand or contract your product line?
3) Monitor your progress. Once you stretch, don’t stop. Keep moving. Take note the improvements that you make and congratulate yourself for those. If you are still sore, reassess and figure out what the underlying issue is.
You’ve heard the phrase, no pain no gain. Pushing past challenges is not comfortable. In fact, stretching your budget, staffing capacity or bandwidth can hurt. A little pain is guaranteed. But, without pain, there is no growth. Without identifying the problem, there can be no answer. What do you need help with? What soreness are you feeling right now in your life and business?
Next Sunday, May 18, from 10 am until 4 pm, I will be at the Festival of Earthly Treasures helping people work out their business, career, life, or mindset soreness.
I invite you to stop by the Carson City Community Center and have a chat with me. I’ll have copies of my column to give away for free, in case you missed any, and I’ll be offering a very special $1.00 a minute coaching deal for anyone who stops by to talk. But, for now, tell me. What has you sore? What can I help you with right now?
Comment down below. The floor is yours Carson City.
ABOUT DIANE HANSEN
Diane Hansen is the Chief Inspiration Officer of What Works Coaching, a coaching firm that has helped people worldwide with their businesses, careers, mindsets, and profit margins. She brings to Carson City more than 17 years of experience with a wide array of clients, ranging from top corporations, motivated entrepreneurs and individuals hungry for a fresh start. Her column appears every Monday on Carson Now.
