You ever have one of those weeks where everything you attempt just does NOT go your way?

I know you know what I’m talking about.

For me, this week was one of those weeks. It put everything I’ve learned after all these years of self-development to the test.

Let me give you the quick run-down:

My internet died on a day when I had FIVE appointments lined up. These were all inspirational people that I had been looking forward to coaching

My website crashed when I tried to add something, so bad that I couldn’t access it to fix it

I miscalculated a timezone difference which caused me to miss an important podcast interview

No one turned up to my Inner Circle, and my internet died (again) halfway through, ruining the recording and resulting in me pointlessly talking to myself for 45 minutes

Oh, and I had to delay writing this email because the bulb in my office randomly exploded into microscopic bits, many landing inside my guitar case so that I cut my fingers right before my next gig.

Great week right?

So if anything is going to put my confidence, stress management and calm presence of mind to the test then it’s a week like this one.

I’ll admit, when the internet went down I pretty much lost my mind. I was talking to myself, arguing with the hold music while I waited 38 minutes for the internet company to answer, and did a lot of insane hysterical cackling.

But then I came right.

In the old days, that first upset would have destroyed the day, while the next few would have written off the entire week.

Yet I swear as I write this I am calm and happy. I feel almost completely unaffected by all these events. If anything, I’m just a little concerned about how far behind in work I am.

So what’s different?

I wanted to figure out what I’ve applied this week, so that you may try it out in your own lives. Here are the reasons why I survived this week and came out grinning:

I have let go of having expectations.

In the old days I would have been mad about the internet going out… because I would have expected it to work. Instead this week I simply saw it wasn’t working and accepted it. I now base my reality on what I see and hear, rather than what I think should happen.

>> Download the Inner Circle session on Expectations <<

I worked around the upsets.

Every time something didn’t work, I asked myself “What am I going to do about it?” If there was nothing I could do, I simply moved on to another task. There is always something else to do, and I know from long experience that worrying never actually provides any results.

I laughed at myself.

I have learned that the tragedy that is life is bloody hilarious. When a whole week goes to the dogs, it is so funny to watch it unfold. At one point I looked up at the ceiling and said to whatever god might exist “Is that the best you can do?”

…at which point I accidentally spilled the last of my instant coffee powder.

I focused on the good times.

I had some great dance-training sessions with my partner; I had a massive turn-out to the Brojo Social Mastery series resulting in 5 new members; I realised that Inner Circle is time I could spend more productively doing something else; through the website meltdown I learned a new tool that makes web maintenance 10x easier.

So next time you have a terrible week, try out some of these strategies, and let me know how it goes.

If you have any questions or worst-week horror stories to share, email me at any time. I live to serve you all.