Monday Motivation, 2.18.19

Written by: Dawn Paciocco

Every Monday, The Rogers-Long Team meets for one of its two weekly meetings. The Monday meeting always ends with “Monday Motivation” in which a few minutes are spent listening to one team member presenting a quote, a quick reading from a book, a scene from a movie, or anything else they find motivating to provide a “spark” to the whole team on a Monday morning.

I watched a total of 7 basketball games this weekend, only 4 of which my boys played in. It’s playoff season so nothing is held back.  Single elimination, one loss and you are done for the season. But sitting in those stands you get to see a lot of different emotions come out.  I watched a mix of emotions in players, coaches, parents, and even refs.  The biggest emotion I saw this weekend was frustration.  I watched a mom look up the league rules on her phone, because she thought our team was breaking rules on playing time.  I listened to my son’s coach YELL in his frustration when he wanted them to drive in the middle and instead they took it outside. I listened to myself yell to “follow your shot”, “get the rebound”, “play smart”.  I watched my oldest shut down one of the better players on the other team.  One reason, because he is an awesome defender, but mostly because the player was so frustrated with the situation that he got in his own way. His frustration got the best of him and he was yelling at his coach and yelling at the refs and ended up with a technical foul as a result.

I get frustrated very easily.  Trying to come up with a topic for Monday Motivation, I am frustrated.  When I say we are leaving in 15 minutes, and 15 minutes come and NO ONE IS READY, I am frustrated.  When you say it is bedtime and your kid hits the floor like he was shot by a sniper. I. Get. Frustrated.

It’s so easy to let the little things frustrate you in your life. Especially when you are expecting things to go a certain way. You have prepared for the meeting and the client cancels.  You gave the 15 minute warning and they still aren’t ready.  I am not suggesting to lower your expectations. I am saying what’s important is how you handle the frustrations when things do not go as expected. Choose how to handle those frustrations to make the situation and you better!  My daughter watched a show Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and Daniel Tiger said “stomp 3 times and make yourself feel better”. Now as adults, we probably don’t need to be stomping but we certainly can count to three, take a deep breath, and move on. Develop a trigger to get you over the frustration so that it does not overcome you and the situation.

Can I completely remove frustration from my life? Nope. But I can focus on what is within my power to change the situation for the better. I can control how I react to the frustration and not let it get the best of me.  I can continue to prepare for Monday Motivation. I can keep giving the 15 minute warning. And I can know that the sniper will ALWAYS get the clean shot and the kids going to hit the floor.

Dawn Paciocco joined The Rogers-Long Team in September 2018 as the team’s Client Care Coordinator. Dawn spent 17 years in the financial services industry and much like Stacy, was first a client of Ben & Kevin’s before joining the team. After a couple years discussing the possibility of Dawn joining, The RLT excitedly brought her on due to her fun-loving attitude and belief in the team’s mission to build an army of people that does good, becomes better, and strives to be the best.