What do you do when shit hits the fan?

It’s going to happen. No matter how focused and prepared you are, no matter how well you’ve planned and mapped out your day, week, or month, there are going to be times when it ALL goes wrong.

And when everything falls apart, you’ve got 2 choices:

Freak out, panic, and ultimately make everything worse,

or

Take a deep, calming breath and go with the flow.

Running a successful business means being adaptable, flexible, and able to change directions midstream without breaking a sweat. That’s a skill that doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but like most skills, practice makes perfect!

Here are 3 tips to help you keep calm and carry on the next time things go haywire:

1. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
   
   Maybe you got a flat tire on your way to a big convention. Maybe you spilled coffee all over your shirt seconds before an important zoom call with a client. Now you’re going to be late and there’s nothing you can do about it…
   
   Guess what? It’s okay!! Things happen to everyone, and we’ve all been late, or unprepared, or unorganized. Take a deep breath and give yourself some grace. Chances are, your client will completely understand (and if they don’t, do you really want to work with them??)
   
   
2. Have a Backup Plan
   
   This is where you REALLY need a reliable team! When something comes up and you’re unable to follow your plan for the day, your team will be the ones to step up and help. They can’t lead a coaching call, or take an initial meeting with a prospective client, but your assistant can contact the right people to let them know something has come up.
   
   And if you’ve got your processes documented and your SOPs in place, your team can step in and take care of some of the tasks that were on your to-do list.
   
   
3. Get Back on Track
   
   Righting the ship starts with team communication. Let your team know what’s going on and what they can do to help. It might simply be calling a few people to let them know you’re delayed, or it could be covering for you for several days as you recover from an illness or deal with a personal issue.
   
   Work together to create a plan that keeps your business on track even when life is refusing to cooperate!

Life happens to all of us, and when you encounter a problem you’ve got to have the confidence and clarity to stop, breathe, and find a solution without falling to pieces.

For more awesome advice on adapting and going with the flow, check out this episode of Building Your Empire with SophieZo.

And if you want to learn more about the all-in-one team that can carry you through any crisis, check out www.sophiezo.com!