What to do when things go wrong

Photo by Drop the Label Movement on Unsplash

Phoof. What a week last week!
​
I had a Facebook Live interview with the lovely Eva Jannotta of Simply Put Strategies.

Being interviewed live on video is still quite new for me, so I felt a bit nervous. 

Nerves and excitement, all jumbled together :)
 
We did the interview as planned, and I really enjoyed it. We chatted about juicy topics like marketing and owning our own businesses.
 
But while Eva and I had a great chat, people watching it weren't able to enjoy it quite as much.
 
It turns out that my audio was seriously messed up. It sounded like I was whispering. With a sore throat. From the next room :)
 
Some fairly serious audio issues.
 
I had been proud of the interview... but then I found out it was totally unusable.

I'll be honest with you; I was crushed!
 
So after a few choice words (mostly starting with "F"), I realized I needed to initiate a Self-Care Plan.

My self-care strategy...

1. Allow time to feel sorry for yourself
 
There are moments to pull yourself together and move on, and there are moments when you need to wallow. To feel crushed or defeated, and hang out there for a while. It’s not human to feel amazing all the time. So if you need to take some time out and pamper yourself, do that.
 
2. Treat yourself
 
Food and drink are one of my "pick-me-ups". (I don't love that fact, but that’s the way it is for now.) I needed a “hug in a mug”, so I took myself off to my favourite cafe for some cake and hot chocolate, and unplugged for a while. Bliss!
 
3. Share with a trusted person
 
I chatted with my brother, who is super understanding and supportive. He picked me up, gave me that all-important perspective, and helped me to get back on track. (Thanks bro!)

4. Get back in the saddle
 
I headed back home, feeling cared for and revitalized, and started googling ways I could improve the audio. 

The upshot...

My message today is that it’s okay to feel down or low... but don’t live there if you can.
 

• Know what works for you and makes you feel better – and use it!
  
  
• Have a list of things that pick you up, and surround yourself with people who lift you up, or help you back off the ground.
   
• Take time for yourself, and then form an action plan for how you'll get back to where you were. 

 
Lastly, know that these things are gonna happen.
 
Any time you put yourself in a new situation or get out of your comfort zone, you’re putting yourself at risk... at risk of messing up, looking like a fool, or just plain old crashing and burning.
 
But while this does happen from time to time, it’s fairly rare.
 
More often than not, you grow. You feel a fabulous sense of achievement... and you can’t wait to do it again!
 
Even better, you feel spurred on to do something else.
 
So here’s to all of us who are trying, and failing, and wondering what the hell we’re doing ;)
 
Better to be trying, than doing nothing at all.

I'd love to know - what's in your self-care toolkit?
 
Finally... if you’d like to take a peek at my interview, you can check it out here. I’d love to hear any takeaways or thoughts you have.
 
And if you’d like to see more of Eva’s #MarketingMinutes interviews, you can do so here.
 
Sending you love, and whatever else you need this week!
 
Claire

❤