How to Handle Getting Caught Off Guard – Goal-Setting
How to Handle Getting Caught Off Guard
I remember the time that I swore to myself that I'd never be caught off guard again. I was in my new job on Capital Hill and it was the first week on the job. My new mentor at the office was the daughter of the other US Senator from Nevada so she knew everyone who was anyone. I tagged along with her one day to a meeting and I found myself in a mess!She introduced me to the President of Zimbabwe! I shook his hand and all of a sudden about a thousand flashes went off! None of the photographers knew that I was just a newcomer on Capital Hill, but every single one got a picture of me ?. And I'm sure what turned out was the "deer in the headlights" look. I completely froze, and looked up completely shaken up. I had NO idea that the photographers were even THERE and then on top of that, why would they want a picture of me?I've since learned to take a great picture anywhere. You name it, the driver's license, Sam's Club to get a member card, at weddings or any function, I have trained myself that the second that I know a camera is around, I "eyeball the eye of the camera" and give my best smile; for as long as I need to!But how do we handle situations in which we get caught off guard? Like asking to speak on a moments notice? What if someone yells at you at work for something that happens? What if you are asked to deliver a toast at an event? Or how about being asked to deliver a message or read a poem at a class reunion? That happened to me at my last reunion, and I told them that as a professional speaker, I never go anywhere unprepared. Therefore, at the encouragement of my husband, I turned them down.But what if you can't turn them down? What if you HAVE to get up and give a speech? What if you are lambasted in front of people at your workplace and can barely come up for air before you are supposed to respond?I think that in any crisis situation, and these are DEFINITELY crisis situations, that it's best to always have a plan. Here is what I recommend that my clients do:1. Know that you are going to be caught off guard at some point.2. Make a plan and memorize the plan.3. When it happens, tell yourself to take several breaths and calm down.4. Next, identify WHAT it is that the person wants from you. Do they want and need a response right then? Can the response wait?5. If it can wait, then tell them thank you for expressing their views and that you'll get back to them as soon as you have had a bit to think about it. Then, go to your office or get somewhere quiet and process what you need to do and say. Call a friend or mentor that you trust to help guide you through it.6. If you have to address the situation right there, your plan is to come off as poised and confident as possible. Hold yourself together until you can respond without flying off the handle or saying anything stupid.7. Address the situation. Ask yourself: What is the bottom line? What do you need to do or to say to make the other person or people happy?8. Deliver your lines. Look the other person or people in their eyes as you deliver your lines. Do it with the most amount of sincerity as possible.9. Be available to discuss it afterwards. Remain calm. You can always freak out later.10. After the fact, reassess how you did. What would you have changed if you could go back? Store that in your memory bank and chalk one up to being ready!A great example of someone being ready when they were caught off guard was Mayor Rudy Gulianni of NYC after 9/11. He went on TV almost immediately after almost being suffocated by the towers. He remained calm and showed sympathy to others even as the news of his good friends' death was delivered to him.Mayor Gulianni had been prepared. He had been reading about leadership and Winston Churchill the night before the tragedy. He was able to recall the story of how Churchill led his people in desperate times, and Guliani was able to call to memory this story as he himself had to present himself as a strong leader.Being prepared takes time of course. But being prepared and ready for the unexpected can catapult you to the next level in your career. It can make people stand up and notice, and can teach you that anyone can survive and thrive, when they expect the unexpected!Mary Gardner , The Charisma Coach! is an Executive Communications Consultant and Trainer. She works with, coaches and trains individuals, sales teams, executives, and celebrities. She owned and operated one of the first coaching institutions on the east coast, CCI, in NYC, Philly and NJ. Mary has appeared on ABC's 20/20 and has self published a book on public speaking. Mary is married to Sway and is mommy to Jeremy 5, and lives in Orlando, FL.For more information contact: mary@marygardner.com or Web: www.marygardner.com
Choose From A Wide Variety Of Off Road RC Trucks To Play In The Dirt-Hobbies
Choose From A Wide Variety Of Off Road RC Trucks To Play In The Dirt
Are you tired of driving your cars only on the road? Are you looking to get a little bit dirty? Or even a lot dirty? If you need a change from RC street racing, it is time to go off-road with the extreme off-road RC trucks. With a large variety of RC trucks to choose from, there is something for everybody, and every skill level.Why an RC Truck?If you have experience with RC cars, you might be thinking, why do I need an RC truck? What is wrong with my RC car? Well if you currently drive a streetcar, you do not know what you are missing. With a remote control truck, you can live out all your 4 x 4 dreams. Depending on the type of truck you get, you can take your truck in the dirt, in the mud, through snow and ice and even drive it through streams and puddles!Get wet and dirty with extreme RC Trucks! The types of trucks that you can buy range quite dramatically. The most popular types of RC trucks are:1) Monster trucks
2) Sport trucks
3) Suburban style
4) Hummers
5) Ford stylesYou can get RC trucks in almost any make; however, the Hummer styles have become quite popular as well as the Ford styles. This is likely due to their reputation as being rough and tough trucks.Can You Race RC Trucks?RC trucks are not only for taking off-road. You can experience the speed and thrill of the race by racing your trucks as well. There is a whole segment of Radio Control trucks that are mean solely for racing. These trucks are generally built with a smaller body and are designed to be lightweight so that they can go faster. In order to race off-road trucks successfully you need the perfect combination of a fast truck, a rugged truck, and a light truck.You can race off-road trucks on specially designed dirt racetracks with obstacles and jumps. Some tracks are especially designed with ramps, mud puddles and obstacles that you need to race through and avoid all together.Other racetracks are built the same as RC car tracks. These courses are built for speed and are carried out on pavement or some other track like surface.What Is The Best Type Of RC Off Road Truck?There are many different types of off road truck, and the best kind depends on what you are looking for. The first thing that you need to determine is if you are looking for an electric or nitro vehicle. The electric trucks are typically less expensive; however, they are not usually as fast or as rugged as their gas-powered counterparts are.A good quality off road 4x4 car is the Traxxas Stampede. This is an extra tough and powerful truck. The Stampede is known as the pit-bull of trucks because it is the meanest and toughest around. With its huge tires and high clearance, this truck can handle all types of terrain. Because of the quality, rugged construction, this truck is especially for first time RC truck owners. First time drivers can be especially tough on a truck as they learn how to manage their vehicles. You do not have to worry about breaking a Traxxas Stampede truck easily. The truck comes with a fully assembled chassis, a ball bearing equipped engine with a recoil starter. The truck comes ready to run, just paint whichever color you choose, add the decals and you are ready to drive.The T-Maxx is another great 4 x 4 truck. This truck is built for racing with 60 percent more horsepower than you can find from other racing engines. This truck is nice and lightweight, which is the perfect formula for off-road truck racing. Every good racer knows that you need more power and less weight in order to achieve faster speeds and quick acceleration. With the T-Maxx truck, you achieve top speeds in excess of 40 miles per hour, and do wheelies on demand. This is the perfect truck for performance-minded drivers.The Final WordThere are many different types of off-road extreme RC trucks. The type of truck that you choose will depend on what you are looking for, and what your budget allows. If you are looking at an electric truck, the prices will start around $100. The prices on these trucks increase as you add features, and nitro-fueled trucks are more expensive as well. No matter what type of off road RC you choose, you are sure to have fun feeling like a kid again, driving it through the mud, snow, and taking it off dirt jumps. Whether you are a professional or a hobbyist, the name of the game is to have fun.
Take Your Eyes Off that Ball!
Take Your Eyes Off that Ball!
O.k., so you love golf. I know, I know. Me too.There you are, exhilarated just by being on the course again, away from the worries of real life. Man, this is great.But come on, underneath all that titillation is - way too often -- the pang of frustration. Why? You know the routine. You get all set up and quickly run through the 20-item checklist in your brain. This time, everything's just right, perfect. And then, wack, off the ball goes, to Slice City or to Hooksville. Or perhaps a dribble or a pop fly.Dang! Isn't there a way to end this misery? Well, no, there isn't, not entirely.But I do have a suggestion that may help sometimes, and that is to take your eye OFF the ball. That's right. Let go.Here's the idea. First, make every backswing as slow as you can. And keep it low to the ground as long as you can, especially with your driver and woods -- whether off the tee or on the turf.Now, as you start that backswing -- as straight back as you can - and keeping it low -- shift your focus from the ball to the lower edge of your clubface or to the clubface itself. As you bring the club back those first eight to twelve inches, either watch just the club edge or face or quickly dart back and forth between the club and the ball, keeping the lower edge of the clubface perpendicular to the intended line of flight of the ball.This helps to keep the clubface perpendicular to the line of flight during those first few inches -- and tends to help to bring the club face in perpendicular during the forward swing, resulting in straighter, truer flight and better distance.Why is this? Well, some people are natural athletes with great "body sense." Eye-hand co-ordination is second nature to them. But to the rest of us 26 million or so golfers in the United States, athletic co-ordinated movement doesn't come so naturally. So we cheat a little, using the eyes to help the body movement to stay in alignment. And that little help can make a big difference.This technique can work equally well with the driver, other woods, irons, and (especially) the putter. That's right, slow up that backswing with the putter too, and watch that club as it goes back. You may be pleasantly surprised with the results.So keep your exhilaration -- and your titillation -- but lessen your frustration by taking your eye off the ball. (Oh, by the way, eventually it is a good idea to get your eyes back on that ball. But you knew that, right?)Ned Jacobs is an attorney in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Director of the Phonics Institute. He can be reached at edwardjacobs@yahoo.com, and at 7 Church Street, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands; 340-773-3322; fax 340-773-2566.