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INSIGHTS FROM AN OLYMPIAN BY JOHNNY QUINN | @JOHNNYQUINNUSA

Are You A “Grumpy Gus?” I Know I Am!

My wife and I fly a lot. Before Amanda joined the family business full-time she worked for a graphic design firm which required a substantial amount of travel. For the past few years she has qualified for companion pass with Southwest Airlines which allows me (her companion) to fly for FREE! This is the best airline incentive on the market for sure and we do our very best every year to keep up the pass.

 

Photo credit: Mikael Kristenson
 

We now travel together speaking to businesses, schools and organization all across the country and have established a routine. Park the car, go through security, check the monitor to confirm the departing gate, you know the drill. We have OUR routine and we like it. Now, anytime our routine gets off track albeit traffic, airplane delays, left behind wallet (that was no fun!) it can put us in not so nice of mood. Have you ever experienced that before? The routine you have come to know and stick to, gets disrupted and you turn in to a Grumpy Gus! Welcome to the club, you’re officially human!

 

What if you could control Grumpy Gus?

 

Murphy’s law states that if something has the ability to go wrong, it will. When there are a lot of moving parts, the chance of something not working, or functioning properly skyrockets. I have found success in preparing for the unexpected. What I mean by that is if the unexpected happens, well, then I will roll with the punches. I don’t have to agree with it nor do I have to mask my frustration – these are normal human functions. Instead of letting unexpected events control my attitude, I control my attitude.

 

Dr. Stephen Covey, in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, talks about learning how to “press pause” between the stimulus and the response. In my terminology, when your routine is destroyed, you can pause, and instead of letting Grumpy Gus out of the hat, simply shoo him away! Okay, enough with the names and crazy metaphors, I think you get my point. It takes a level of maturity to pause after the cause, but before the effect. Here is the cool thing, you control the effect. How you respond is up to you!

 

Now give it a try the next time things go awry.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Johnny Quinn is a U.S. Olympian (Bobsled) and Speaker. He delivers thought-provoking and action-packed speeches to help increase performance and teamwork in business and in life. Companies that have hired Johnny to speak include: Toyota, Chick-fil-A, Cisco, Southwest Airlines, Wells Fargo, Zillow, LiftMaster, Fiserv and Lockheed Martin.

Hire Johnny to speak at your next event →


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