Day 6: The Best Piece Of Advice I Was Given About Keeping My Cool

A few years ago, I was given the best piece of advice that changed my career for the better.

Do you know those times when you just seem to be overtaken by your emotions? It feels like a snowball going down a mountain. You go down a path that deep down, you know it’s wrong, but it feels like there is nothing you can do to stop it.

I remember that this used to happen to me. I really didn’t like where it landed me but somehow it was stronger than me. I was young and like most beginners, I ended up in a more fragile state than I wished and I knew that if I wouldn’t stop and readjust, I would land the hot head seat of the company.

Until one day, someone told me:

“Find your trigger, and stop right there.”

That day, it all changed.

I started analysing how I reacted to several situations, how much emotion I was adding to the discussions and above all how those little triggers would propel me to go through the point of no return.

In the beginning, I knew I wasn’t strong enough to stop it so, I had to abruptly remove myself from the conversation. Looking back it probably didn’t look the best but I did what I felt was necessary.

As time went by, and always identifying the trigger points, I started to know how to go around them. Sometimes I would take a breather and drink a glass of water. On other occasions, I would redirect the conversation to another topic.

With the risk of sounding like an old man, experience brought me the capability to separate the humongous fire that is burning inside of me with a calm exterior sitting in awful meetings and listening to sometimes the most ludicrous things.

So if I can share a piece of advice with young leaders, or junior hotheads like I was, I would pay it forward and say for you to find your trigger, and force yourself to defuse the situation.