We’re heading into a recession. Inflation and wages are still too high. The Fed will continue raising rates near-term. That means continued headwinds for the stock market, the housing market and for borrowers. Meanwhile, we have a divided government. Flu season has returned with a vengeance and COVID hasn’t disappeared. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is likely to enter a quagmire and some of our airlines can’t get their planes off the ground.
Good!
It’s good because
we have a unique opportunity to get better and there’s less downside risk if our new approach doesn’t work out.
Times like these
remind me of one of my last marathons. I was late to the starting line and didn’t
warm up properly. The previous night’s pasta wasn’t sitting right in my stomach,
and it was unseasonably warm and windy. Not exactly the right conditions for a
personal best. Sure enough, by mile 10 I was thinking seriously about throwing
in the towel.
But then I
remembered what my college track coach, the legendary Art Gulden liked to say: “Anyone
can run fast when they’re feeling good; I’m going to teach you to run fast when
you feel like crap.” And he did.
So, after a quick pitstop at the Porta-John, I got my head and GI tract re-set,
and I came up with some new goals for that day. I’ll get to those in a minute.
Coach Gulden would say: “When your ass falls off in
the middle of a race, don’t whine about it. Go back and pick it up, stick it
back on, and keep going.” Jocko Willink, the retired Navy Seal,
motivational speaker and podcast host would say: “When things are going bad:
Don’t get all bummed out, don’t get startled, don’t get frustrated. Just look
at the issue and say: ‘Good.’”
Willink
says it’s actually good when things suck because you have more time to get take
stock of the situation and find a solution. “Don’t throw in the towel,” barks
Willink. “Get up. Dust off. Reload. Recalibrate and Re-Engage.”
*** Full 2-minute version of Jocko’s Good episode
Willink believes if you can still say the word “good” to yourself when times
are bad then you’re still alive and you’re still breathing. “And if you’re
still breathing, that means you’ve still got some fight left in you,” said
Willink. “Accept reality, but focus on the solution. Take that issue, take that
setback, take that problem, and turn it into something good.”
So, I decided to flush from my mind the first
10 crappy miles of my race and to set a new goal. The new goal was to run the last
16 miles faster than I ever closed out the last 16 miles of a race before. And
that’s what kept me going. My overall time was about five minutes slower than my
personal best, but thanks to a very strong last 16, I was a top finisher in my
age group and felt like I could have run another five miles. Finishing that way
was a helluva lot better than quitting at mile 10 and have a big old DNF (Did
Not Finish) next to my name.
Conclusion
Nobody
has a crystal ball, but I suspect there will be times when we’re severely tested
in 2023. Some of you will have the courage to find solutions and push through. Others
of you will say to yourself: “That’s Life” or “It Is What
It Is” or “Whaddya Gonna Do?” If you say that crap to me,
do me a favor and send in your termination notice. I don’t want to work with
you.
For the rest of you, let’s get after it in 2023. It’s time to get comfortable
being a little uncomfortable. Don’t take a DNF.
What’s your take? I’d love to hear
from you.
#JockoWillink, #resolutions, #selfimprovement,
#reslience, #stoicism
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