ROUGH TIMES ON THE ROLLER COASTER OF LIFE- How to deal with these hard times of recession

Rough times are upon all of us: that’s for sure. We are experiencing the pain of recession, or have friends and relatives who are.

It reminds me of a recent trip to Great America Amusement Park. As I looked at the dreaded ‘American Eagle’ roller coaster, I couldn’t help but think of the ride we are all experiencing during these tough economic times. Life now is just like a ride on that roller coaster.

With every ascent up the hill, we feel a false sense of safety, and the view is exhilarating. But anticipating the descent into the unknown depths of ‘the drop’ is down right painful. We know, deep down inside, that the drop doesn’t last forever. The roller coaster will come up the other side. But that doesn’t make the descent any less frightening.

The biggest fear is not the drop itself, but that feeling of helplessness and loss of control that goes along with it. We don’t have control of our speed, direction, or ourselves as we face the unknown. In this economy, we are all facing those same feelings. After all, we have never experienced these economic and political challenges before.

The fear controls our actions

• The fear can motivate some to create their own obstacles; second guess themselves into inactivity. After all, they aren’t sure how things will turn out. They are so afraid of failing and making their situation ever worse, that they don’t do anything at all. They are like the deer in the headlights; PARALYZED!

*For some, the fear is unbearable, so they escape the situation any way they can – avoiding it and pretending it doesn’t exist; by RUNNING AWAY!

*For some fear becomes a motivator. They ‘hit the ground running’ and work tirelessly to change the situation. These people will search new possibilities as they are thrown out of their comfort zones. For them, the challenge is invigorating. These people are TRANSFORMING CHALLENGES INTO OPPORTUNITIES!

How can you control your own destiny and survive the descent? How do you deal with these hard times?

BE CURIOUS
Learn all you can so that any action you take is from a position of strength. Learn about the markets, various industries, government actions, etc. Read, connect with experts, and learn from friends.

BE PERSONALLY PREPARED
Go through all of your personal documents. Know where you stand. Assess the risk and possibilities in our personal situation and track it every day. Communicate all your information to family. Ask whomever you need to, to learn about your personal situation.

LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD
Get rid of all excess things, and expenses. Get rid of ‘things’ you don’t need. Make a list to see where you spend in excess in your family life, social life, and business life. Eliminate a few things in each category.

BE ORGANIZED
A cluttered office, house, environment is a cluttered mind. Simplify and be organized, so you can move ahead efficiently.

ADOPT A POSITIVE ATTTITUDE
Don’t play the blame game. Reframe your attitude to a positive attitude. Look forward not backward. Positive action follows positive thought. Know you deserve to have what you want, and are willing to work for it: then you will have it.

BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE
Physical activity causes endorphins to kick in. Those endorphins make you physically and mentally sharp. Deeper breathing during exercise boosts your immune system, improves general health, and reduces stress.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY
Eat the ‘right things’; veggies and fruits. Avoid excess of anything especially alcohol and sweets. Take vitamins. Go to the doctor.

HAVE A POSITIVE SUPPORT GROUP
Create a strong group of supporters: professionals, family, friends, and a close group of business and personal consultants. Plan on contacting them frequently. Stay away from the ‘gloom and doomers’.

TAKE EDUCATED RISK
Go for it after you have a well developed plan. Risk is hard but can be rewarding.

TAKE IT ONE STEP AT A TIME.
Slowly and meticulously move ahead. Move step by step: there is nothing to be gained by too fast, and taking giant steps.

HAVE A BACK UP PLAN
There is no such thing as failure; only opportunities to start again. Make a back up plan in case things don’t work out.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: the most growth happens when you face your fears and act. These tough economic times, are challenging, but they also test who we really are. They give us a chance to get down to basics and reinvent ourselves. They make us strong.