Today is your lucky day. I’m gonna teach you how to live. Barney Stinson
The proper response to any difficulty is challenge accepted.
“Challenge accepted” is a popularized by the fictional character from the show How I Met Your Mother named Barney Stinson.
According to Barney “once a challenge has been accepted, it can not be unaccepted and I will not rest until the challenge is completed.”
There was a time when I was almost fired from my work because of low performance with my sales numbers and specific deliverables at work.
My supervisor showed me a “for your eyes only email” which had a list of employees recommended for termination with my name on it.
It was absolutely disheartening.
He told me that it was too late and he was surprised that I was transferred to his team “the top team” and I needed almost a perfect score in every deliverable to pass.
At the back of my head I’m thinking I’m doomed.
He could read it by my eyes and facial expression.
He asked me what my plans were because at that point I have an option to begin looking for a new job and he wouldn’t take it against me.
I told him I don’t mind moving but I wanted to see how I fared if I decided to move forward.
He told me to see my target as a challenge and said nothing more.
We went for a cigarette downstairs and he repeated his statement about seeing what I feared as a challenge.
Challenges are there to overcome.
I went back to work the next day.
A few months later I’m part of the top 5% of the highest sales performers in our department.
I also got the highest customer service score according to customer feedback.
I couldn’t believe it.
Not only did I get to avoid getting fired but I also got recognized as a top performer.
What changed?
My results are results.
Results are a product of my methods.
If I change my methods I can change my results.
There are several steps that I am doing correctly and several steps that I am doing incorrectly.
If I identify the wrong steps and make adjustments I will be able to change the results.
If I suck it means I haven’t learned it yet.
You see, nothing is new about the above statement.
I know that ever since I started playing computer games, I learned that in my first sales job, I learned that when I attended entrepreneurial seminars, I learned that in church.
When difficult situations arose, I kept forgetting.
I kept thinking reality of my problems are bigger than my capacity to handle it and the capacity of God to support me.
I am living a pipe dream it tells me I am just fantasizing a favorable end.
I kept forgetting.
Whenever I faced something difficult or something that scares me I either say to myself privately or out loud “challenge accepted” and just go for it.
If I fail I follow the above steps and try again.
I’m not perfect.
I still panic.
I still get afraid.
Reminding myself to respond by saying challenge accepted, puts me in a position where I can see the situation that I face and decide how to approach and overcome the challenge.
I often brag that “whenever I say challenge accepted, the next thing you’ll hear is challenge completed.”
Not to show off but to remind myself that difficulties are challenges that I can overcome as long as I face it and not flee from it.
How do you face challenges?
Do you also say challenge accepted?
Thank you for reading this far and thanks for your attention.
I am praying for your success. God bless!
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