self control (Photo credit: pakyouare)
The term “knee-jerk reaction” means acting impulsively based on your nature. Sometimes your natural reaction is not the most appropriate response to achieve your desired outcome in a situation. So how can you maintain self-control long enough to fight your natural response and formulate an appropriate response?
Remember to STAY in control of yourself.
S-stop what you are thinking about impulsively doing or reacting before you do it.
T-think about what you know and need to know to make an appropriate choice. Think about what you want to have happen and what you don’t want to have happen in the situation.
A-act appropriately to get what you want.
Y-you did it! Celebrate your self-control!
A Reiss Motivation Profile® can help someone understand what is motivating them to follow their nature. Once you understand your natural motives and needs, you can better STAY in control under stress. Humans tend to revert to our primary motives most strongly under stress. When flooded in a stressful situation, a human will typically have the most difficult time remaining in self-control. Our natural reaction is fight or flight to survive the perceived stress. In more complex situations, this natural reaction often doesn’t serve us well. We need to formulate the appropriate response to get what we want.
The next time you find yourself wanting to react, STAY in control and see if you can respond appropriately. Practice may not make perfect, but it will increase your odds of success.
Ready to fire up your work and your life? I’m an executive coach from Indianapolis, and I work one-on-one with executives and managers, in person for local clients or via Zoom. If this post raised a question about your work or your next step, we should talk. The first discovery call is free and confidential. Book your discovery call, or call or text me at 317-643-0058, Monday through Friday, 9 to 5.
