MINDSET
HANDLING PRESSURE
have been easy to lose focus and ruin not only that race but also my reputation for being tough but keeping things profes- sional. Fortunately, I was able to keep my perspective and my excitement and, as a result, I’m still happily racing today. Have you heard of the ‘Butterfly Effect?’ It is the notion that the tiny flutter of butterfly wings in one part of the world can affect weather patterns all over the world. When you feel like your response to pressure doesn’t matter, remember: Every. Single. Thing. Counts. If you’re like me, whether you are in the middle of the good things or the bad, you are always looking to “course cor- rect” to make yourself the best you can possibly be. A ship on a journey must continuously course correct because it is so easy for the waves of the ocean to gently and effectively, over time, veer that ship off course. I’ve had some big “waves” in my own life recently, so I want to share a few examples of what those waves might look like and how I work to overcome them: SADNESS & DEPRESSION We all have that occasional funk that we can’t seem to shake. Course Correction Plan: Sulk, cry, take a nap, and then force yourself up. Do what you must to break the cycle. A long, hot bath and some self pampering are usually enough to get me out of the house. From there, just being around people or doing an activity with a pur- pose usually helps. WAVE 1 BEATEN DOWN Sometimes when it rains, it pours nearly too hard to bear. The week my Mom passed away it felt like the world was just so mean. The IRS decided to audit me, the state of Kan- WAVE 2 FEELING WRONGED OR
sas decided to audit my retail line, and a family member hurt me deeply with some very harsh words. Then, I had a horrible race experience - all in the same week I lost my Mom. I literally said out loud, “Isn’t God/the universe supposed to be very kind to me right now?” Course Correction Plan: Focus on the good. When all that pressure hit me, I had to remind myself of all of the wonderful people out there. I told myself (and believed it) nothing could happen that I would be unable to handle because of the strength God gave me. I cried. I hugged my dog. Then I went to work. Gratitude and action helped the time pass. As I held on and focused on the good, those bad things became manageable and I was inundated with kindness and love. I vowed to give that kindness and love back, and suddenly, things weren’t so bleak. MONEY ISSUES Financial pressure is the negative energy that comes from worrying about money (whether you’re in a good position or a bad one) rather than creating opportunities. After eight years of owning a race team – a business in which no amount of money ever seems to be enough – I’ve discovered something very important: Money comes in, and money goes out. I used to worry to no end about how I would pay my team, and I know plenty of wildly successful real estate investors who are on constant pins and needles about where their next deal is coming from – even if they have two dozen in the pipeline! Those are the investors who have heart attacks young, by the way. I will never tell you I did not have to make sacrifices or that I never worried about where the money would come from, but I will tell you somehow, some way, some- thing always comes through. WAVE 3
Course Correction Plan: Dedicate the negative energy you spend worrying about money toward creating opportuni- ties and working expectantly toward the next big break coming your way. THE “HAPPINESS PROJECT” I know a lot of these things are easy to read and they might feel as if they were easy for me to write as well. Let me tell you: It hasn’t been easy lately. In fact, if I had not had an arsenal of weapons ready to fight against the negative things that came into my life, I certainly wouldn’t be in a position to be writing about yours today. Build that list for yourself as well. Be warned: As with everything we do that is worthwhile, build- ing that list takes practice and discipline. Amuscle hurts when we work it out on its way to growing stronger. I keep notes on my phone and one of them is called “Happiness Project.” In it, I keep ideas and some of the most amazing messages I have ever received from friends and fans.
3Ways to “Course Correct” When the Pressure Gets Intense
YOUR REACTIONS IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD WILL DEFINE YOU.
by Jennifer Jo Cobb
Your Action Item: Make your own “Happiness Project” and start thriving under pressure. Keep it on your phone, in your diary, or as a screen saver on your com- puter. You want to keep that happiness right on hand for when you need it most, in both the good times and the bad. •
becomes aromatic, a thing to be desired and, in my opinion, something quite delicious and useful! Sometimes, pressure takes the form of adversity. Other times, it takes the form of success. This is particularly true in the case of two of my favorite things: racing and real estate. Think about the first deal you tried. If you’re like most people, it probably didn’t go 100-percent according to plan. You were probably scared it wouldn’t work out, or that you would lose money. I remember when my parents made the decision to purchase the commercial building where my dad had rented ga- rage space for decades. It was terrifying! We had so much on our minds as we navigated the “fine print” of a new type
of investment, and it would have been very easy to become like that egg, hard and bitter on the outside and difficult to be around, or like that potato, mushy and ready to give up. However, we embraced the excitement as best we could, and, at the end of the day, we were able to not only make a meaningful investment that is now part of my family’s legacy, but we were also able to give access to the workspace to a young, entrepreneurial mechanic as well. Now, think about your first big success. For me, it was my first big race. It would have been easy for me to get pretty arrogant about my starting position because I beat out several very tough competitors who had been pretty dismissive of me in the past. It would
Jennifer Jo Cobb currently com- petes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck and select XFINITY Series racing events. She is part- nered with Think Realty as part of her mission to reach a broader audience with her message of bold entrepreneurialism. She is a regular contributor to the maga- zine and motivator for Think Realty members. hen you are in hot water and under pressure, you can become one of three things: an egg, a potato, or a coffee bean. An egg will become hard with a bitter shell. A potato will become soft and turn into mush. But under pressure and hot water the coffee bean W
JenniferJo Cobb is a public speaker, corporate spokesperson and a NASCAR teamowner and driver. In additionto racing, she is the founder of Driven2Honor
(Driven2Honor.org), a non-profit to recognize the efforts and plights of our femalemilitarymembers. Learnmore about Think Realty Racing and JenniferJo Cobb by contacting Dell Hamilton at delltrracing@gmail.com.
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