Have you ever found yourself in a situation where, when you’re working on something and although you are already exhausted, problems just keep arising, one after another and it seems as if they will never end? This blog explains the competency that enables you to get through these tough times. Grit is not a mere personality trait, it is a complex competency that you can develop over time by getting through different types of challenges.
The first challenge you may come across in handling a difficult situation, is staying motivated. Starting a new project is often exciting and fun, but when you get stuck in a routine or encounter difficult problems, while you’re already exhausted and approaching the deadline, motivation usually shifts. Recently I realized that in situations where frustration and stress are high, the only thing that you can do is to acknowledge it, stop fighting the stress and embrace the frustration.
We hear about the negative impacts of stress on a daily basis and of all the techniques on how to fight it. It’s true that the level of stress in today’s society is higher than is should be and in cases where stress lasts for a longer period of time, it can leave consequences, but in difficult situations, stress is a normal response of the organism. In these situations, stress plays a role in improving your focus and activating your organism, so try thinking about stress as your friend. Sounds liberating, doesn’t it?
The same can be said for frustration. If you are in the IT industry, you have probably heard about pain-driven development. In order to find ease and enjoy the feeling of satisfaction after finishing their project, people can get really creative and collect strength they didn’t even know they had.
The second challenge you may encounter in these situations is keeping an open mind for improvements. In a situation when you have no energy to deal with problems you must solve, goals of excellence, including best practices may sound like a mission impossible. Although having a mindset “let’s just make things work” is understandable, finishing a project without being satisfied with it creates a feeling of unfinished business, which can haunt you until you get things done the way they should’ve been done in the first place.
So, here’s one tip that could help you keep an open mind and retrieve your energy: take a break!
Sometimes clearing your mind and taking a step back from the problem for 2 minutes can create a miracle. It is really easy to fixate when you’re under stress and a little break could help you change your perspective and help you approach the problem in a whole different way. Here’s what you can try: http://www.donothingfor2minutes.com/
The third challenge consists of collecting some extra energy once you’re finished with the project. That third challenge is taking the time to look back on what you’ve done, even though you would love to forget about it.
There is no way to avoid problems, but the thing that can downgrade your performance and be the cause of chronical stress is a constant struggle with the same problem. The only way to constantly develop is to learn from your own mistakes.
Being a Talent Manager in Atlantbh, I was able to see Atlanters deal with difficult situations and in that process, develop grit. Atlanters are getting out of their comfort zone daily and I believe that is the secret to achieving excellence in our products.