As COVID-19 begins to ravage our communities and send our once normal, happy lives into a spin, it is normal to feel angry and frustrated by everything that is happening. It is understandable that many of us right now feel like ships without a rudder, bashed about by the tidal waves of life, not having any control over what happens to us.
It is precisely at moments like these that we need to remind ourselves of the things we have control over. Things like choosing the correct mindset. In an earlier article I spoke about how culture eats strategy for breakfast. Choosing the correct mindset affects the sort of culture you set for your business and even your household. Once we choose the correct mindset, we begin to regain control of our lives as important actions become clearer to us.
What is this mindset I am talking about?
It is the Victor mindset.
Be the Victor, don’t be the victim.
Many authors have written about the Victor/victim mindset duality so I won’t claim to have made the idea up. But I feel that given the helplessness that many people feel right now, it is important to remind us all that there we can choose to be in control and become Victors or we can choose to blame everyone else and become victims.
A victim blames others for their misfortune. They blame their bosses for laying them off. They blame the government for not doing enough. They blame their family when they get sick. Their life revolves around shifting the responsibility of their own actions to other parties,instead of holding themselves accountable for their own actions.
In doing so, they lose control over their lives and they live day to day reacting to events as they happen to them instead of being proactive and anticipating events before they happen. In the end, they end up with more problems because they were too busy blaming others instead of taking the initiative to sort out their problems on their own.
A Victor takes control. They are aware of the things within their locus of control and the things that are beyond their control. Government policy, their workplace’s hiring decisions and even the actions of their neighbour – they acknowledge that these things are beyond their control and they take the necessary measures to mitigate the impact that these things have on them.
A Victor understands that they cannot control how people act, but they can control how they react. Instead of blaming others when a tragedy befalls them, a Victor asks themselves ‘How could I have done or prepared for this better?’ and ‘What can I do to minimise my risks in the future?’. They make themselves accountable for the things that happen to them – and if such a thing was beyond their control, they push forwards, looking for the next opportunity to better themselves.
As the days go by, we will hear more bad news before good news finally arrives. Many will be infected and many more will lose their jobs and their incomes as a result of the pandemic – things which are beyond our control. I urge you dear reader, to remain focused on the things that are within your control.
Obey the lockdown, self-isolate if you show symptoms, wash your hands (with soap) and practice good hygiene. All of these things are well within your power to do so. You might be angry, incensed even at other people flouting the lockdown, well then, it is within your power to report them as well, but don’t bother scolding them for it, let the authorities handle it. If you have recently lost your job or income due to the COVID-19 recession, don’t get angry at your boss or the government. Getting angry doesn’t solve anything. Think about what you can do to improve your situation. Do you need to grow your network? Learn new skills? Have another chat with your former employer? If you need someone to talk to, hit me up. I’m quite happy to help you discuss ideas on moving forwards. I just lost my job too, so I have quite a few ideas I’m happy to share!
Remember, if we choose to be the Victor, the battle against COVID-19 and the recession is already partly won.
Stay calm. Stay safe. And wash your hands (with soap!!!).