When You Feel Hopeless

“I have worried about this so much I haven’t slept for weeks”

- Jennifer Castagno

When You Feel Hopeless

“I left the company two weeks ago because of this transaction.” Jennifer said to me over the telephone.  “I’ve worried about this so much I haven’t slept for weeks!”

“I understand!  I’ve spent lots of nights just staring up at the ceiling before.  I’m sorry you’ve had to go through this.”

I was having lots of stress, right along with Jennifer, so I genuinely understood what she was going through.  We were both relying on other people to fulfill their role and they just weren’t getting it done.   It was frustrating and demoralizing. 

A couple of days before this phone call, I was at my emotional bottom.  I felt paralyzed but something deep inside of me said, “You have a fiduciary responsibility to fulfill, so figure it out!”

That inner voice acted as my guide to allow me to learn something very important.  What I could do when I felt hopeless!

I knew there were many things not in my control and had been focusing on them.  Shifting my focus was essential.

“What can I impact?” I asked myself.

I thought back and realized that, while there were many people involved I couldn’t count on; there were people who had proven themselves.  I could count on them!  That’s why I reached out to Jennifer.

“Thank you for being so great to work with.” She said at the beginning of our call.

I didn’t know she was going through the same thing I was.  One simple phone call bound us together.  We didn’t feel alone any longer and that produced new strength.  It opened the door for us to put a new plan together. We created a tight circle of cooperation and envision a successful finish in the near future. 

With this new, positive vision of success clearly in mind, I was able to claim confidence so I could call my client with purpose and strength.  “Hello, this is Lynn.  Here’s what happened.  This is how we can move forward and give you the outcome you’re looking for!”

Wow!  That dreaded call quickly turned from trepidation to the most positive result I could have imagined.  My feeling of hopelessness quickly disappeared.  I felt renewed.

It made me feel so good I wanted to make sure I could pass these steps on to you directly.  That way you and I can refer to them over and over again; this isn’t the first time I’ve felt hopeless and it won’t be the last.

So, next time we face discouragement we’ll ask, “What can I impact?”  Shift focus, create alignment with proven allies, combine strength to build a measurable strategy, and move forward with confidence while feeling renewed. 

These steps work!  I’ve used them again and again with positive results.  Try it yourself and you’ll conquer feelings of hopeless every time.