There are countless things that can present less than ideal circumstances in a presentation. You may not feel well. The room arrangement may be odd. There may be a panel member you do not have a strong relationship with. The client gave you a short amount of time to prepare. The interview takes place the Monday after a long holiday weekend.
The reality is: nothing is perfect. You can’t expect the stars to align every time. So finding your balance in those circumstances is essential to performing your best. There are thing you can do in preparation to tee yourself up for a more ideal situation: prepare sufficiently, get rest, check out the room in advance of the interview day, do your homework with the client.
But things happen and less than ideal conditions pop up which test our fortitude and resiliency, demonstrating our character to ourselves and our clients.
Here are some of my favorite quotations on handling adversity:
Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.
William Arthur Ward
Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.
Arthur Golden
When adversity strikes, that’s when you have to be the most calm. Take a step back, stay strong, stay grounded and press on.
LL Cool J
The pressure of adversity does not affect the mind of the brave man… It is more powerful than external circumstances.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
There is no education like adversity.
Benjamin Disraeli
The eagle has no fear of adversity. We need to be like the eagle and have a fearless spirit of a conqueror!
Joyce Meyer
For a lot of people, Superman is and has always been America’s hero. He stands for what we believe is the best within us: limitless strength tempered by compassion, that can bear adversity and emerge stronger on the other side. He stands for what we all feel we would like to be able to stand for, when standing is hardest.
Michael Straczynski
He knows not his own strength that has not met adversity.
Ben Jonson
The bottom line is to stay strong in the face of adversity. Focus instead on what you can do in a challenging situation.