Performing Effectively Under Stress

      When I was 16 , I remember talking to Les,  (65 yr old   farmer who worked for my dad.)   At coffee break  the two of us were talking about what it felt like being 65 yrs old (on the inside).  I will never forget what he said…“Doug, it still feels like there is a little kid inside of me..”

     Well, I’m  pushing 50, and  I have to say I  feel like  I am a 21 with 28 years experience.  I love being the age I am at. 

       Today I attended my last gun safety class.  We were on a shooting range using handguns…..One of our exercises was to see how we would respond under pressure while we attempted to carry out a series of  predetermined instructions….Guess what….I rocked!…I did much better under pressure than when there was no pressure….go figure….I am convinced that a lot of it can be attributed to dealing with pressure from my job….Being a general contractor  has it’s own set of pressures, just like every other job.  What are some of my pressures?…well, try to keep a crew 4 people productive when you are  being paid by the hour, the customer is on the job-site, and some of your crew members aren’t sure what to do, and the customer knows it.

     Or, cash-flow pressures….the homeowner owes you $10,000 but won’t pay you until you address some problems…meanwhile, you need that money in the bank NOW  so you can  write pay checks this week and pay your quarterly taxes on Friday.

  Or leaks…phone rings ..it’s raining (again)…same deep voice of GM…he STILL  has a leak dripping onto his new light colored  carpet coming through the double french doors  ( for the third time)   In the end, it turns out, it isn’t my  fault…previous carpenter flashed  the existing house incorrectly.

     I still remember my first real butt chewing from a customer …He ripped me up one side and down the other…he was pissed.  I knew he had  reason to be upset..not so much with me, but with two other subs…I just happened to be the one who tried to address a problem, rather than avoid it…. While that situation was unnerving,  it also gave me a bench mark to compare it to future butt chewing’s…and it grew a  type of resilience in my soul.

     Now less you think I have my act all together and never struggle  check out this

  Today was a fun day, I discovered something new about myself….I thrived under  pressure, not something you can  pick up from reading a book….thanks in advance to those of you that choose to leave a comment!