We are taking applications for our 2012 LJC class. If you know someone who is interested, is 21 - 54 years old, lives and/or works in Jones County and is passionate about the growth of Jones County, please contact Larkin Simpson at (601) 649-3031 or larkins@edajones.com. Deadline for applications is July 27.

Peaks and Valleys: Making Good And Bad Times Work For You--At Work And In Life

"The errors you make in today's good times create tomorrow's bad times. And the wise things you do in today's bad times create tomorrow's good times."

~ Spencer Johnson

I was recently cleaning out my wallet - I'm a sucker for those "return visit punch cards" - when I ran across something I had forgotten I put in my wallet many years back. Many of us in business have read the Spencer Johnson books "Who Moved My Cheese" and "One Minute Manager". Several years ago as I was working through a difficult situation at work I was looking for guidance and stumbled upon his latest book at the time, "Peaks and Valleys".

What was stuffed in my wallet was a bookmark from that text with the core principles of the book.  I will try my best to recall the points here because I think they are very useful to each of us as we get wrapped up in the grind of our day to day lives. What we often forget is the bad times don't last as long as we think and the good times are fleeting, so we should savor them while we are in the moment.

To Manage Your Good and Bad Times: Make Reality Your Friend - Whether you are temporarily up on a Peak or down in a Valley, ask yourself: "what is the truth about this situation?'­

• This concept is something I think we all struggle with. Sometimes we have to step back and look at our situation with an 'unbiased eye'. Remove the emotions and see what is really going on with your situation.

To Get Out Of a Valley Sooner:  Find And Use The Good Hidden In A Bad Time - Relax knowing that Valleys end. Do the opposite of what put you in the Valley. Get outside of yourself: be of more service at work and more loving in life. Avoid comparisons. Uncover the good that is hidden in a bad time and use it to your advantage.

• We all know that good can come from bad situations, whether you chalk it up to fate, karma, chance, luck or what have you. (We Presbyterians just say it was predetermined that way.) Sometimes we just have to step back and focus on what the good is, even if it is just growing from the experience and being able to help someone not make the same mistakes we have made.

To Stay On a Peak Longer: Appreciate and Manage your Good Times - Be humble and grateful. Do more of what got you there. Keep making things better. Do more for others. Save resources for your upcoming Valleys.

• As I have said before, the good moments don't last as long as we would like them to. Be sure to make yourself aware of what got you to the point of a Peak, was it helping others, paying extra close attention to customers, helping fellow employees out? Whatever the case, take note of what has gotten you on a 'high' and do more of it. Your attitude will show in your work and your customers will notice. Hopefully your attitude will be contagious!

To Get To Your Next Peak: Follow Your Sensible Vision - Imagine yourself enjoying a better future in such specific, believable detail, that you soon enjoy doing what takes you there.

• If you are in a Valley, envision yourself on a Peak. (Yes, I know it sounds fru-fru, just try it. If nothing else is working it's worth a shot.) What will it take to get you to that Peak? Can you change your working pattern? Later hours, earlier mornings? Coming in early to handle email so that you have more face to face time with customers when the day gets started? Whatever it takes to get you to that next Peak, identify those steps and then start doing them one by one. If you have to, have mini-celebrations to keep you motivated toward your goal.

To Help People: Share It With Others! - Help people make good and bad times work for them too.

• If you have been around me for any amount of time then you know I am a big proponent of mentoring and knowledge sharing. Pass it on! We all benefit from each other's experiences and failures. Share the good, share the bad. Whatever the case may be, I am sure someone will benefit from your experience. (If they don't, or don't want to listen, call me. I'll listen to your story - but be forewarned, you may end up in a future version of this newsletter!) 

 

Interesting Articles

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If you're worried about the economy, 

you may be showing your age 

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