The 24-Hour Rule

One area of clutter or chaos that we probably don't often think about is our mind and emotions. Yet it can be one of the most important areas to deal with.

Today I want to share a great idea I recently heard via Harvey Mackay. He tells the story of Don Shula, a professional football coach. One of the reasons for Shula's great success was something he called the 24-Hour Rule.

The basic idea of this rule was that regardless of whether his team won or lost, they had 24 hours during which they could celebrate their victory or brood over a defeat. They were encouraged to feel their emotions - of success or of failure - as deeply as they could.

But once the 24 hours was up, all of that was to be put behind them and they were now to focus all their energy on the next game coming up. It was a powerful way of keeping both victory or defeat in perspective.

So what about us? Do we have a way of clearing the decks emotionally? When things go wrong, as they always will at some point, do we brood and fret over the mistakes we or others made till it drags us down to discouragement and failure? Or do we feel what we feel, face it, deal with it and move on?

I really like this idea of giving yourself 24 hours to face whatever is going on, and then putting it behind you and moving on. What do you think?