Summertime is such a great time of year. Especially summer in the upper Midwest. We endure a long, hard winter and are rewarded with great temps, sunshine, lakes and a winning professional baseball team (at least this year). I always find it amusing when people I talk to complain about the weather this time of year. “It’s too hot out”. I am confused by what those people are expecting. It seems to me they are the same people who complain about it being too cold or maybe they are just the people that complain about anything and everything. This winter I asked a client, who is a retired mail carrier, which he preferred….the hot or the cold. His answer made sense; ‘the hot does not hurt quite as bad as the cold. When it’s bitter cold it hurts.’ So because of that I am less inclined to complain about the heat.
There are days we fall in to this mindset and we certainly have those friends or colleagues who will find something to complain about. The questions I ask myself in these complaining moments are; 1) Keith, what were you expecting? 2) what can you control or change to make it better? If we really think about what we were expecting and set (or reset) expectations our mindset can be more positive and constructive, rather than negative. If expectations are misaligned we need to reset those expectations or change some things we can control.
If I want to get that project done but haven’t dedicated time to it, what can I change? If I am expecting to lose some pounds but not eating right or working out, what can I change? If I want a better relationship with a friend or family member but am not intentional about calling or talking to them, what can I change? If I am expecting a raise but am not adding more value to the company, what needs to change? If I yell at my kids for something they haven't known or experienced, what can I teach them? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.
Nothing worth having in life comes easy. Set expectations of yourself and others, understand the things you can control and do your very best. When you’re done, sit down and enjoy a refreshing beverage of your choice. After all, ‘It’s freaking hot outside.’