Invest Engagement not Stress

Let me clear up a misconception for you. Stress is not a noun. It is a verb. People, situations, deadlines, challenges are all stressors, but stress is what you do when faced with a stressor. Stress is your reaction. Through your actions in response to stressors you have often said, “I’m going to stress.” But, what will you do next time? “I’ll stress then too.” But, we need to do something. “Well, I’m stressing!”

When you are faced with obstacles, uncertainty, or pressures, your body naturally responds. If the stressor is intense enough, adrenaline starts to flow. This hormone may give you the sensation of nervousness offering the classic fight or flight option. When your and my success is on the line, I say engage. Rather than run from the challenge, engage in the new experience. Collect yourself. Learn about the challenge. Connect with your support system. Set your goals. This outline is the process of engagement.

The biological reaction you display in response to stressors gives you the ability to do things both physically and mentally that may have been difficult without it. Your endurance is heightened. Your mental acuity increases. You may have only experienced this in response to tight deadlines. You have come to believe that it is the pressure that makes you great. You say, “I do my best work under pressure.” Foolishness! If you can do good work at the last minute, imagine the great work you can do with more time. The outline for great work is simple: Collect yourself, Learn, Connect, and Set Goals.


Collect Yourself. The key is discipline—to engage that biological reaction on demand. You must see the outline for greatness and turn stressors into waypoints. This is collecting yourself. Bring your biological functions into submission to your will.

Learn. Gather the information you need in order to understand the work. Talk to others about their experience with similar challenges. Review what approaches make sense to you.

Connect. The single most predictive characteristic of success is support. Build a system of support that fits for the work at hand. Always rely on your mentor. Also, engage content experts and consultants.

Set Goals. Now that you know what you are working with, list goals that are unique to you. Being realistic is important, but not as important as reflecting you in the work. Challenge yourself and recognize the power of building incrementally toward larger goals. Plan in the context of the time you have and the eventual benefit expected.