Daily Lab: Don’t just work

You’re feeling frenetic energy to do some marketing, or prepare for a big launch.

You’re looking for things to fuss over, to finesse, to finalize.

You don’t feel ready, but you don’t feel productive, either. You just feel anxious.

Does that ever feel familiar?

Maybe you’re endlessly fussing over a trade show booth because you’re worried about not getting enough attention.

That’s one thing you could do. But is it the best thing you could do?

Sometimes, the best thing we can do isn’t to fuss or finesse, it’s to pause. And ask ourselves this question:

Not, “What should I do next?” but “What am I afraid of?”

If you’re afraid of low attention at the trade show, could you get a firmer count of attendees from the organizer?

Could you get more details on where your booth will be located?

Could you practice your pitch so you make the most out of every single interaction?

Could you get a sense of the other sponsors and booths, so you know exactly how to stand out from the crowd?

Or could you simply recognize that nerves and anxiety are normal, and work on calming, resting, and thoughtfully preparing for the strain of public interaction?

Fear makes us fuss. It makes us finesse.

But it doesn’t necessarily make us focus.

So if you’re spinning in circles, stop. And ask what you’re afraid of.

And either work on the fear, or work on its source.

But don’t just work.