Fit for Life: What’s Your Problem?
Matt Espeut, GoLocalProv Health +Lifestyle Contributor
Fit for Life: What’s Your Problem?
We all have them, and always will.
Every day we will face some adversity and have to create a solution to overcome a problem.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTWhen was the last time you woke up before the alarm clock, and your morning went perfectly without any hang-ups?
You drove to work, and the roads were clear, and you hit every green light.
You got to work and there was a fresh cup of coffee waiting there for you.
Then every coworker came up to you with a smile and said, “Hope you have a nice day”.
Then throughout the day, every customer was happy and full of praise.
You got to leave work on time, even better, early. Then the roads were clear without traffic, making it easy for you to get to your destination.
You got home and everything was in order, and everyone was in a great mood. The kids cleaned their rooms, ate all their vegetables, and did their homework without you asking them to.
You got to relax a bit and went to bed on time and stress free.
Now wake up, because you are dreaming.
Life isn’t full of sunshine and rainbows.
Life is great, and I’m happy to be alive, but it will never be perfect, and problems will sneak up on you every day.
It’s how you deal with them that makes a difference.
Are you reactive and irrational, or are you proactive and accepting?
First let’s analyze what type of problems we have.
Are they first world problems, or are they third world problems?
I had two full time team members leave a couple of weeks ago.
One had a baby, and one was offered a job with a Massachusetts fire department.
They both left on great terms, and I am happy for them both, however finding a replacement for 80 hours a week has been challenging.
I had over 190 people inquire about our program last month and took on over 80 new prospects on board.
Business is blowing up, and I am working extra hard and longer hours to try and keep up.
To be honest, I am struggling to keep up with the volume.
I don’t want to lose any business by letting people fall through the cracks, so I am stepping it up and making things happen while I try to hire a salesperson to take up some of the slack.
I am loving the fact that I have this problem.
This is a first world problem that every business owner should be having.
I am grateful that the phone is ringing, and people are coming in droves to change their lifestyle at my facility.
These are the problems we should welcome with open arms, because the flip side would be catastrophic.
If the sessions were empty, people weren’t getting results, members weren’t renewing, and new folks weren’t inquiring, the problems would be ten times worse.
I would have lots of extra time on my hands, but I’ll take being extra busy anytime.
I could be reactive, dramatic, irrational, and get flustered and stressed out with the situation, because not having a big enough team IS a problem, however, I choose to accept the situation, keep proactively seeking help, and stay organized so I can handle the situation.
I was joking with a member the other day that I overheard talking to someone about clothes shopping.
She was saying what a pain it is to buy clothes, then have to take them to the tailor for alterations.
Laughingly I chimed in and said, “You poor thing. You need to shop then take your clothes in because you in shape and looking great. What a great problem to have”. She cracked up when I put that spin on her situation and also agreed that it was a good problem to have.
Think on the flip side, what if you couldn’t afford to shop.
What if you were so poor that you needed to wear hand me downs and had no choice in what was given to you.
Or what if you gained weight, and couldn’t fit into anything?
Again, we all have problems, but to what degree?
We also need to take a step back and analyze what causes the problems we face in everyday life.
Do we create our own problems?
Do problems arise because of our own actions?
Can many of our problems be corrected with some planning and execution?
Take a minute to take inventory and see what issues we can avoid on a daily basis.
Are you always late because you hit the snooze button every morning, and get behind before your feet hit the floor?
Are you visiting the doctor because of the poor lifestyle and eating habits you chose?
Are you always finding fault with someone else and blaming your problems on others?
Or are you accountable to yourself and realize the things you need to improve and take action on in your life?
Find solutions, don’t magnify problems is a quote I live by and instill in my team at work.
If the printer is out of ink, don’t sit there and dwell on the issue, run to the store and get more.
Got a flat tire on the way to work? Call roadside assistance or get out and change it yourself.
Slamming your fist on the dashboard and swearing out loud won’t fix anything.
Your foot hurts? Stop walking on it and see a doctor.
Ignoring the issue won’t make it feel better.
Food wasn’t that good at the place you ate? See the manager and get something else.
Don’t run to your phone and write a negative review.
Stressed and busy at work?
Be grateful you have a job and manage your time better, so you get more done.
Don’t enhance or let problems escalate, find solutions.
There it is folks.
Know you are not alone, and that everyone you have contact with on a daily basis faces struggles and problems.
Some good, some bad.
Some real, some manufactured.
Some are avoidable, some are not.
The solution to your problems is finding a solution, not becoming reactive or irrational about the situation.
Problems left unattended will either fester inside you and eat you up or grow worse and more out of control.
Take inventory of your situation and ask yourself:
Is this a first world problem or a third world problem, and what’s the best way to solve it?
As for me, I’m about to review some applications as soon as I finish editing this article, so I can build my team back up and take my business up another notch.
Hopefully, problem solved by next week!!
Committed to your success,
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