Does Stress Help You Succeed?

Hey so this month has by far been the most stressful within my job and also outside of it.


I'm not here to vent to a bunch of strangers on the internet, but it has been very stressful calling this month since my quota has been raised along with various external stress inducing events (finding a house, buying a car, family drama)


But I was able to shatter my number earlier this week, making July my best month since I have started working. I can't help but think that being on the edge of insanity has helped my performance. Has anyone else ever felt like when its a do-or-die situation you outperform your expectations?


TGIF. STILL ANOTHER WEEK LEFT IN JULY. LFG.


-Fartboy

📞 Cold Calling
🙏 Mental Wellness
✌️ Growing Pains
49
linkedinconnectmaster
Politicker
10
CEO
Stress can be positive for sure, but it can also take a toll on a person esp if it seems like its just added to the pile. Congrats on hitting your goal!
Phillip_J_Fry
Opinionated
2
Director of Revenue
Agreed. Short bursts can light a fire under you. Long term stress just leads to burnout or a life expectancy of 43.
Santipodero
Politicker
0
Sanix
Stress can be positive and helps you to be a little more awake, but excess stress is not recommended for people
NotInterested
Catalyst
5
Business Development Manager
Stress I would say no. I work better under pressure to get things done, but not stress. I would say it's a fine line but you need to compartmentalize them. 

External stress outside of work is tough for me to move past sometimes, but that's when you have to remember to leave your emotions at the door and get shit done. 

Added pressure from work is a lot easier for me to handle, and I necessarily wouldn't call it stress. 

In your situation, you are KILLING it, so clearly all the added BS is helping you. Kudos to you and keep it up!
ColdCallFartBoy
Celebrated Contributor
15
Business Development Representative
Yeah I guess this is just a specific case. I don't think most of my months will be stressful from external factors. I'm just glad it's almost over so I can continue to schedule and deliver meetings in stride without worrying about stress outside of work haha. Thank you!
SlinginSoftware
Politicker
2
Account Executive
This is so spot on! I always tell everyone that why I love my current company so much more than previously sales jobs, is that that I feel pressure instead of stress.

Stress makes your hair turn gray, pressure makes you smash your number!
NotInterested
Catalyst
1
Business Development Manager
Same!! My previous company was 24/7 awful, terrible STRESS. Where I am at now, there is pressure, but not stress. Sounds like they are hand in hand, but there's a HUGE difference mentally. 

I'm glad you are at a place where you are happy and thriving!! 
CuriousFox
WR Officer
4
🦊
Whoa dude badass hitting your numbers!

I think I am driven by a little positive stress just so I can feel something. 🤷‍♀️
FamilyTruckster
Politicker
3
Exec Director, Major Accounts
Some rise to the occasions, others get put on PIPs. 

good for you on keeping it together and smashing your number. 🦾
ColdCallFartBoy
Celebrated Contributor
14
Business Development Representative
Thank you! 
VineMic
Executive
2
Account Executive
Hate to say it but yes. Without any stress I wouldn't feel as sharp. But there's a fine line to it, just a little bit of stress but not lots (don't need to go out buying things you don't need to add motivation folks)
Ozz
Politicker
1
Account Executive
Yes, I think stress is a positive. You do need time to unwind at times but taking it easy has never helped me hit numbers or accomplish anything else in my life. 
ColdCallFartBoy
Celebrated Contributor
14
Business Development Representative
I agree!
DrunkenArt
Politicker
1
Sales Representative
Some stress, yes, but if you're losing sleep and not taking care of yourself, that's where the line is drawn. Stress will, in turn, lead to different motivation factors. 
TheNegotiator
Arsonist
1
VP of Sales
It really 100% depends on personality.  Like for real, this is an intrinsic psychological thing.  Some people thrive under pressure, others fall apart.

Unfortunately, statistically, top performers tend to be pressure motivated.  In sales, there's more often pressure than not.  More often a crunch and a target to hit than there is an atmosphere of 'relaxed progress'.  It's just the nature of our industry.

Its our jobs as sales leaders to try and propagate the latter, over the former wherever possible.  But more often than not, it's out of our control.  We're given a number we have to hit, and we have to drive our teams to hit.

The short answer is yes.  Stress can drive people to succeed, and those people tend to be the best of the best.  I've seen the "more relaxed type" also bang out huge numbers, but its not as common.
Blackwargreymon
Politicker
1
MDR
Stress I would say no.
dave1
Politicker
0
SDR
There are levels of pressure. It all depends on what you are capable to hold. 
Gyro25
Notorious Answer
0
Account Executive
Pressure to succeed? Yes, I'm hyper competitive. Stress in general? Definitely not. I think of performance as a puzzle, you need all the small pieces to make it work. If you're missing a bunch of pieces(stress management, eating well, sleep, hydration) it leaks into other aspects of your life. 
deathbysales
Politicker
0
Vice President, Sales
I thrive under stress/pressure/chaos and tend to kick in to gear when shits hitting the fan. In down time or when things are going too smooth I tend to get board. Per my therapist I thrive in chaos; which she thinks is a bad thing but I do tend to think it has attributed to being successful in my role. 
SharpEleven
Executive
0
Account Executive
i'm just going to say yes because I need to in order to justify my life decisions.
BullDawg
Politicker
0
AE
Not for me. I’m a naturally pretty stressed out person, and it works against me (I tend to get nervous about every call, and take way too long to make my dials, overthink every email, etc). For me personally the more relaxed and secure I feel the better I am in conversations and managing my process and pipeline.
Prunetracey
Fire Starter
0
VP Growth
Stress - no.
Time sensitive outcomes required - yes.
PhillySales
Opinionated
0
Director of Inside Sales
Stress helps me be extra prepared, extra on my shit, but it’s probably taking years off my life.
Tomahawk
Member
0
Director of Commercial Sales
First of all, congratulations! Way to CRUSH that goal. Second, absolutely yes. Stress (or pressure) does play a huge factor in my personal role and the urgency to get things done. However, if that stress is the only thing playing a role in what I’m doing and it starts to take over that I’m in a bad spot and I don’t have the balance that I want.
Santipodero
Politicker
0
Sanix
As when exercising, if we want to lose weight and increase muscle mass, the body needs a break from work or, otherwise, we will just be exhausted and without reaching our goals. In this way, the mind recovers and strengthens. “We cannot use our mind constantly without experiencing fatigue at some point. This leads us to a formula: effort + rest = development ”. Not resting well generates the accumulation of excessive stress to which the body cannot adapt. Contrary to the idea that stress helps to work better, the body and mind deteriorate causing a stage of exhaustion (chronic stress), which damages work and especially health. However, stress is also good, if applied in the correct dosage. always remember this to succeed you have to control your stress.
GDO
Politicker
0
BDM
Everybody has their on relationship with stress. For most people stress is like a inverse u-shaped graph. 

either too little or too much is bad. Right in the middle is the sweet spot. 

dor some this is curved to the right for others it s curved to the left. 
Chair
0
Lead Hunter
In the back of our minds and all these comments, we effectively all know that stress/pressure can be helpful, debilitating and sometimes necessary to "Just Do It" 

Once terms were put to the phenomenon, I was able to perform better and think the same will happen for the War Room

Eustress - Positive Stress
Distress - Negative Stress

-- This shit is a bell curve/inverted-U, you're most likely to crush it as the deadline approaches --

Don't fly too close to the sun or for too long though
Clashingsoulsspell
Politicker
0
ISR
Oly weightlifting and track for sure
Error32
Politicker
0
ISR
Oly weightlifting and track for sure
Xthanthus
Good Citizen
0
Professional Territory Manager
3 years ago my wife and I were going back and forth on having a kid due to our financial situation. We weren’t in dire straits but didn’t know if my bonus would be enough to stomach a kid on the payroll. I simply said I have nine months to figure it out and I did.

TLDR: necessity is the mother of all invention.
jefe
Arsonist
0
🍁
A little bit of time pressure, yes. Stress? No
AnchorPoint
Politicker
0
Business Coach
Clear focus.
8

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