Focus on the positive things, and let go of the negative vibes. But with all the negative things that’s happening around us, how can we even do that?
Last week, I made a promise and an experiment not to rant to anyone and just focus on the brighter side of things. I may say that the experiment was a success, the week went by and, for the first time since the ECQ started, I didn’t have any anxiety attack. But a friend reminded me that ranting, sometimes, can be healthy.
Being a self-proclaimed perfectionist and an obsessive compulsive (OCD), I have the tendency to overthink things.
I received a feedback a couple of days ago, at first it came to me as a negative one (and I guess it was meant to be one, sorry that’s what I felt) and honestly, it really affected my self-esteem and my work ethic. I became so attached to the feedback that it affected my whole self, and in the process I lost myself. Grace under pressure was always my go-to motivation whenever I feel pressured, specially these days that there’s a lot of expectations from me. Top it off with, I put too much pressure on myself to deliver; but not just deliver but to have an excellent output. The expectations, I can handle and manage, but the moment I read that feedback, you may say that I wasn’t able to handle it. I felt that all the other the things I did was not appreciated and that I needed to do more.
But if I really want to focus on the positive things, I had to convert this negative feedback into a constructive criticism and improve myself. And in an instant, I remembered what was mentioned during a call I’ve attended, to constantly improve. Doesn’t matter how you do it, but you have to improve; and to strive for relevance not perfection.
But how can you stay relevant these days?
With the higher expectation from our employers/leaders/bosses these days. It is important to stay relevant, competitive, and marketable, specially now that we are in a highly competitive digital business environment. It is important that we continuously improve and evaluate ourselves regularly. According to V-Soft consulting, here are tips on how to stay relevant.
- Know how to use tools you’re supposed to use
- Go to trade shows
- Keep up with the latest industry news
- Understand your clients’ needs better
- Know what makes your competitors successful
- Stay social
- Specialise in your area, not everything
- Focus on the big picture
- Focus on great communication
Forgive yourself and move on.
I’ve attended a leadership webinar a couple of weeks ago and this was my key take away. But to make it more personal, I’d rephrase it to: forgive yourself, let go, and move on. Because how can one move on without letting go? And letting go, for a perfectionist and an OCD like me, is not easy.
Now, the challenge for me is how do I stay relevant. How do I forgive myself, how will I let go and how will I move on?
With our mental health at stake and of all the things happening around us, let’s all pause and keep it mind not to suppress everything because catharsis is essential.
Remember during this pandemic, we need to be healthy. Not only physically, but emotionally and mentally as well.