No election can change this

The past 95 weeks in a row, I've sent out my weekly email on Thursday. But I’m posting here a day early for a reason.

Last night when I went to bed, anchors were saying “World financial markets are in turmoil; the Dow futures are down 800, and it’s getting worse.” It was tempting to lay awake worrying about how this could affect my business.

With all the information at our fingertips, it seems easy to want to analyze what’s going on and how it will affect us. Listen to the pundits on the TV while you check the political sites on your phone – then toggle over to social to see what your friends are saying, then back to the pundits.

It reminds me of earlier times of change and uncertainty, and how I would just sit and watch the world go by. Like the undecided presidential election of 2000 – I spent the months of Nov. and Dec. that year operating at about 50 percent capacity because I was engrossed in the recount and wondering how it would all affect my life. That felt safer than actually making decisions and taking action.

You know what I’ve learned since then after wasting all that time? To focus on what I can control.

Sure, it’s important to be informed and civically engaged. That’s why we voted. Now the election is over, and realistically speaking, staying informed takes, what, 15 minutes a day or so?

Turn off the TV, close the political sites, limit your time on social, and focus instead on the one reality I’m absolutely sure of in these uncertain times:

The way you’re going to grow – both personally and professionally – is to wake up every day and ask yourself, “What can I do today to provide more value to more people than I did yesterday?” Then go do that.

That’s what I did this morning. No matter what the stock market does, no matter what politicians do, I’m going to keep finding ways to add more value for YOU this week than I did last week.

When you choose to act this way, your circle of influence grows, and the value you send out finds its way back to you. But that’s not even the most important outcome – what really matters is how you change inside. There’s a serenity that comes from proving to yourself that external factors never dictate your life and your potential.

Of course, when the U.S. markets opened this morning, they were moving back to equilibrium. Doesn’t mean they’ll stay there, and by now you know that’s not the point. Nothing a news anchor reports has more power over your life than the choices you make every day.