My mum worked in aged care for 15 years, so growing up, we weren’t allowed to have Milo, but we were allowed to have Sustagen. Sustagen is aimed at seniors. It gives sustained energy over time, rather than a quick burst of energy like sugar gives you. My mum knew that Sustagen would help us kids have the stamina we needed to get through our days and get through them well.
We are living in extraordinary times today. None of us have ever been in a situation quite as dramatic as this. It’s the kind of situation that demands that we operate at our peak performance. And it’s clear we’re going to need a lot of stamina to keep moving forward in our businesses and our life.
So, it’s got me thinking. What is your Sustagen? What do you need personally to keep moving business forward through a disaster.
3 Things That Give You Stamina Through Disaster
There are three things that help give you stamina to move forward through disaster:
- Fierce determination to complete your goal and get something done.
- Resilience to keep overcoming roadblocks in your path.
- Having a growth mindset to keep reaching for your goals.
There are going to be roadblocks in our future as we navigate this disaster. Perhaps internet interruptions, revenue loss and even health struggles. Having fierce determination, resilience and a growth mindset will give us the endurance we need to keep pushing forward despite these roadblocks.
I’ve just recently joined the Forbes Coaches Council, and I often think about a quote from B. C. Forbes, the founder of Forbes, where he said, “In the race for success, speed is less important than stamina.” He’s absolutely right. There is no race. There is no prize. This is your game and your journey over the next few months, and you know what’s right for you.
Grit is an essential part of stamina
It’s really easy to fall into comparing yourself with others. But stamina is not about competing; it’s about playing your own game. And it’s really powerful. Angela Duckworth, author of Grit and a mindset researcher, found that 60% of people were more likely to succeed if they had grit.
Grit is determination and perseverance to achieve a goal, which is an essential part of stamina.
6 things that help me have stamina
There are six things that help me have stamina. We all have to find the things that work for us individually, but perhaps this list can give you a point of reference to begin.
1. Gratitude
The first is having a sense of gratitude. Yesterday, I thought, “I’m going to go and get up, and I’m going to do some grounding.” And I went outside and thought, “I’m grateful for trees. I’m grateful for grass. I’m grateful for green grass and grateful for fresh air.” Things like that help to centre you, bring you back to the present and reduce your anxiety and stress.
2. Balance
The second one is balance. We’ve got a long road ahead before we’re clear of this disaster. Being able to sustain energy for a long time means that you can’t have energy going out constantly. Instead, you need to be able to step away from things and take a break. Go for a walk, get some fresh air or exercise. Step away from your computer and turn off notifications on your phone (except texts). Take the chance to decompress.
3. Work in short bursts.
The third one is to work in short bursts. This is something I’ve learned from my parents – to work in sprints and intensive blocks of time. This gives you the chance to capitalise on your productivity and get a lot done. But then you can go and have a break before getting back into it.
Intense and productive bursts will help you push your business forward in the long term. And it’s a great strategy for business productivity generally (it’s why I created Content Creation Bootcamps, Content Club and Cut Through Collaterals).
4. Have a growth mindset.
The fourth is to have a growth mindset. Carol Dweck is a growth mindset expert. Her work tells us that we’ve got to stop focusing on perfection and the ultimate result. Instead, we should focus on what we did today that’s better than yesterday. The first approach rewards only results and outcome, while the second focuses on effort and progress.
Focusing only on results and outcome creates stress. Yes, goals are good, but only if you put systems in place to support the achievement of those goals. Those systems remove anxiety by moving you into a growth mindset. They allow you to stay present to what’s happening every day, and stop you stressing about not immediately achieving your goal.
5. Create before you consume.
The fifth is to create before you consume. At the moment, people are craving a lot of information. Most of us jump online first thing in the morning to try to get a sense of where things are at in the world. The challenge with that is that it sets the context for us for the day and reduces our creativity.
Once you’re in the rabbit hole of reading and consuming content, it’s really hard to get out. Instead, when you wake up in the morning, the first thing you should do is ask yourself, ‘What is the intention that I want to create today? What is the intention that I want to create this week?’
Creating is going to serve you so much better than consuming content. Marie Forleo, an American life coach, coined the phrase, “Create before we consume”. It’s a mantra that I’ve had on my desk for a long time. Start your day with a positive intent. Don’t let consuming content drown you.
6. Ask for help.
Number six, and the last, is to ask for help if you’re struggling. Reach out to your community — either ours or another one. Let them help you.
We have some incredible support people in our community. Many times you might be frustrated with your graphic designer, or your website, or your whitepaper, whatever it may be. Just reach out for help. All you need to do is ask. If you need a decent graphic designer or writing support, you don’t have to go it alone. There’s somebody in your community who can help you. And if they can’t, they’ll know somebody who can.
The biggest thing that can hold you back is feeling like you have to do it all yourself.
We Have a Long Road Ahead
Unfortunately, we’ve got a long road ahead. We haven’t even hit the storm yet. And stamina is what is going to help you keep moving business forward despite disaster.
What insights have you had?
Jane Anderson is a strategic communications expert, speaker and the author of seven books including the upcoming Catalyst Content. She has over 20 years of experience helping people to communicate confidently, and is obsessed with generating authentic influence and human connection to drive business growth in a world of disruption and automation. Jane delivers Content Creation Bootcamps (Virtual and Face to Face), coaching and keynotes. To inquire about working with Jane please contact us here.