When You Reach The End Of Your Rope, Tie A Knot In It And Hang On!
Mike Allton
Head of Strategic Partnerships at Agorapulse & 🎤 Host of The MarTech Show, Strategic Marketing Leader in AI and Data-Driven Solutions | Author, Speaker, Dad
"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Sounds like great advice, right? But what does it really mean? I think Roosevelt was trying to tell us a couple things.
First, when it feels like everything's going wrong, don't give up. Giving up never made anything right. It's only when you hang on and keep on fighting for what you want that you'll get there. That's the 'hang on' part.
And second, 'the knot' is really important too. Roosevelt is suggesting that you find one thing that you can specifically hold onto. Whether it's an accomplishment or a task you have complete control of. Something that you can grab with both hands and feel like you've made progress... maybe just stopped falling!
If it's a stressful situation that's making you feel out of control and at your wit's end, look for something that you can fix or find some hope in, even if it's just a tiny thing.
If it's your business, or even your blog, work on one thing at a time. To Do lists are great, until they get so massive that they become daunting and overwhelming. Try breaking that list up into more actionable and achievable chunks!
That's been the case for me these past two weeks, both personally and with work. I've had to re-focus more than once on smaller tasks that I know I can handle and conquer, and avoid the oppressing overwhelm flowing out of everything else going on.
So tie that knot and hang on!
International Marketing Executive - Gold Cup Electric Electromagnetic Wire Co.,Ltd.
7yI like how you interpret it
Emotional Intelligence Mentor Coach & Therapist For Business-Owners & Entrepreneurs. Experience Greater Joy Fun And Satisfaction In Your Daily Business & Personal Life. Whilst Re-Inventing Yourself As You Scale and Grow.
7yhi Mike ...this is something I do with clients as well, it gets them to stop, refocus and start seeing their strengths & positive qualities instead of the overwhelming emotional problem. "... find one thing that you can specifically hold onto. Whether it's an accomplishment or a task you have complete control of..."
Interview coach - Job interview preparation - Interview skills training
8yThanks for sharing Mike - you offer good advice for coping with the feeling of being overwhelmed. .... Take it all one step at a time - and I would add to prioritize all those tasks - some of them will simply have to wait (or be delegated or outsourced) ...... And remember to continue to take regular breaks to clear the head and refresh (can't think clearly when fatigued - plus we can make more errors). ....... That's the thing isn't it Mike - there is an ebb and flow in both business and life that we must learn to adapt to. Cheers mate - wishing you all the best and a joyful Easter.
Digital marketing specialist. Content marketing. SEO. Email marketing. Social media.
8ygreat tips Mike (despite the cat image :>). Some things seem overwhelming in insurmountable but in the end, we can break them down and acheive them!