Negative tailspins happen to the best of us. Something gets us in a funk and throws us into a spiral where nothing seems to go our way. It happened to me a while back and recently a rep asked me what to do when this occurs, which is why I decided to write about it.

Have you ever noticed when the negative momentum starts it seems to keep going and going? You hit every red light on your way to work, you spill coffee on your shirt, your laptop crashes, the restaurant gets your order wrong, you argue with your significant other, etc, etc. Momentum is just that, momentum. It keeps moving in the same direction and picks up speed along the way unless something stops it.

To stop the downward spiral we need to focus on the good instead of the bad. Positive things are occurring around us all the time but when we’re in a bad state of mind we tend to miss them. In one of his famous talks, Tony Robbins explains the idea of  “Changing Your State.” He says it’s all about getting in the right frame of mind to focus on the positive versus the negative. Most importantly he believes that this monumental change of state can occur in just minutes and from there set you on the right path.

Here’s an example. Once I had a friend who was in a bad state of mind and didn’t know how to get out of it. I had her walk around with a small notepad and write down every single positive aspect of her life, no matter how small. Something small like someone opening the door for you or your bus arriving as you get to the stop. She came back to me with a book full of examples and already was in a much better mood. It was awesome. From there she was able to start turning things around by looking at her current situation through her new lens. She changed her state and her momentum.

I had to do the same thing recently. I had to remind myself of all the positive things that were going on in my life to help turn around the negative momentum. Sales is one of the hardest jobs out there and it’s easy to fall into a tailspin. When we do, we need to stop and take a minute to remember the good things going on. No matter how small they may seem they will be the building blocks to get us back on the right track. Stay positive, stay focused.

Make It Happen.