When you get knocked "off center" by unexpected problems, how long does it take you to recover? - SmartBrief

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When you get knocked “off center” by unexpected problems, how long does it take you to recover?

The most recent SmartBrief on Leadership poll question: When you get knocked "off center" by unexpected problems, how long does it take you to recover?

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Leadership

When you get knocked "off center" by unexpected problems, how long does it take you to recover?

SmartBrief

SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 200,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our newsletter.

When you get knocked “off center” by unexpected problems, how long does it take you to recover?

  • A few minutes: 23.86%
  • An hour or so: 27.23%
  • A few hours: 17.60%
  • A day or two: 24.33%
  • Several days to a week: 6.98%

Returning to center. There’s no shortage of things to knock us off balance. Events big and small can throw us off at any given time. What’s important is how quickly you’re able to regain your center and get back in balance. For the large portion of you that get thrown off for a day or more, don’t feel bad about it, but do look to do something about it. Find a way to regain your perspective faster. Whether it’s exercising, taking a walk, talking with a friend or co-worker, listening to music, meditating or any other form of resetting yourself, you’d do well to try it.

Being off center for too long affects performance, stress and general happiness with the world around you. Let yourself experience the stressor, react to it, but then quickly put it in its place. You’ll find that regular application of these skills will reduce the amount of time it takes you to get back to center and back in balance.

 

Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS, which includes TITAN — the firm’s e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West Point graduate and author of three leadership books: “One Piece of Paper,” “Lead Inside the Box” and “The Elegant Pitch.”