108 FREE SAMPLE OF SUCCESS UNDER STRESS
hink you’re the only one stressing out? If so, “listen in” on two of
my phone conversations and see if you relate to others who are also
feeling the heat.
“I’ve never admitted this to anyone before,” Stacy told me. “I can’t
do it anymore. In fact, sometimes I don’t even want to.”
Stacy is a mid-career working mother who heads up an internal
client service team. When she called me for a consultation, she ex-
plained, “There’s enormous pressure to get a mounting pile of projects
done without a mistake. I know I expect too much of myself, but I’m
nervous about lowering my standards. My assistant keeps making mis-
takes, and I’m worried she’ll make a major one that affects our clients. I
don’t sleep well. I wake up in the middle of the night. Then I have a short
fuse. I’ve snapped at my kids more than a few times lately, and I always
feel guilty about it.”T
SECTION IConstant Stress:
Reclaiming the Power to Succeed
1American Management Association / http://www.amanet.org