This article is not about HVAC. It is about you. It is about the things you need to do for yourself over the next month of two.
You need to keep up with the news, but not the entire news cycle. Make a quick check in the morning to see if there’s anything critical, then avoid it until the end of the day. Otherwise, it will beat you down faster than Mike Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks.
Listen to podcasts. One recommended for every contractor is Profiles In Prosperity. You can find 56 episodes of contractors and the occasional consultant who are known for industry best practices, sharing their knowledge and experience with you. Two others recommended for contractors are Duct Tape Marketing and Entreleadership.
Fake It
You are probably nervous like the rest of the world. You might even be downright scared. That’s okay. What’s not okay is showing it. You are a leader. Your actions and attitudes will be absorbed by everyone around you. If you appear a little frightened, those who look up to you, who take their cues from you will be terrified.
Be steady. Be strong. Be confident. If you are not, fake it.
You are probably nervous like the rest of the world. You might even be downright scared. That’s okay. What’s not okay is showing it.
Compartmentalize
You are going to worry. Everyone does. Just choose when you worry and when worry creeps into your consciousness and saps your ability to take positive action, push it aside. Schedule a time of the day when you will worry. Thirty minutes is more than enough time. You will probably find that you can do a day’s worth of worrying in five minutes. That is why you need to schedule it. Otherwise, you will have the same worry every five minutes, over and over.
Not only is it good to compartmentalize worry, you should recognize that most of your fears will never be realized. Winston Churchill, who almost single handedly kept the world from a totalitarian descent before the U.S. entered World War II said, “When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.”
This is Temporary
Things may seem tough right now. They may even get worse before they get better, but they will get better. The nation will go back to work. The nation will recover and the recovery is likely to be sharp and steep. So, the old adage of “one day a time” makes a lot of sense right now.
One of the best quotes about worry comes from the Gospel of Matthew, 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Count Your Blessings
Be grateful you work in HVAC. What if you owned a restaurant? Or, a gym? What if you owned any number of businesses that are shut down and shuttered? You work in an essential industry. You are blessed.
You are blessed in myriad other ways as well. Willie Nelson said, “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”
Count yours. Make a list. Then pick one a day to focus on. When you focus on your blessings, the negatives seem to dissipate.
Even better than counting your blessings, try to be a blessing to others.
Now, more than ever, contractors need a place to turn for answers and help. At $50 a month, there is nowhere better or more affordable than the Service Roundtable, which is why it is supported by more than 4,800 contractors. Learn more at www.ServiceRoundtable.com or call 877.262.3341.