Football players get hit a lot. Over and over again, the opposing team takes their best shot. A good football player knows how to take it. In life, and business, there are a lot of people ready to throw out a punch. Maybe they don't like the food your restaurant serves, or the product you sold them. Perhaps they feel your services fall short from what they expected when they made their purchase. And competitors are known, fairly or unfairly for undermining your efforts in order to gain market share for themselves. We all know you can't please everyone, but sometimes it is very difficult to ignore the criticism and the hard knocks that come back to you. In Austin Kleon's book, "Show Your Work," he shares his method for the common man/woman on how to handle those punches that sometimes hit you squarely in the jaw. See below.

BREATHE/RELAX: Take a deep breath and accept whatever comes. Relax and go with the flow.
STRENGTHEN YOUR NECK: Open yourself up to criticism. the more you get, the more you are able to ignore or learn from it.
ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES: Keep moving
PROTECT YOUR VULNERABLE AREAS: Even football players wear protective gear.
KEEP YOUR BALANCE: Know the limits. Stay on equal footing. In business, most of the time, it isn't personal.

xo, jan
@janmccarthy
www.janmccarthy.com

TAKE IT LIKE A PRO!