Browse > Home / Business Self-Defense™ Tactics, Mindset / The 24-Hour Rule

The 24-Hour Rule

March 2, 2010

I get angry sometimes. I try not to get angry over the little stuff; but some days it just seems like there’s a global conspiracy of stupidity that somehow finds its way to my doorstep, complicating my business life and spilling over into my personal life.

If you’re looking for a specific example, I don’t have one in particular this week – but I’m sure if you think back over the last few days, you’ll almost certainly come up with an experience of your own that fits the bill.

And that’s actually sufficient for our purposes, since what I really want to talk about is not the frustrating situations themselves, but rather our reactions to these experiences. Our tendency is to respond with a knee-jerk reaction, lashing out at the source of the irritation with the full force of our disappointment, dismay, and outrage, and doing so immediately.

I’d like to suggest an alternate approach that has proven successful – if not always in resolving the situation, then at least in helping me relax a bit in the face of the problem, and, as often as not, get a better resolution.

It’s a simple strategy I call “The 24-Hour Rule” and it’s as simple as the name implies: when something has you so angry and upset that you feel the need to do something about it right now, stop, take a deep breath, and wait 24 hours. Here are a few examples:

A friend reveals to others something you told her in confidence? Wait 24 hours.

A client completely rewrites an agreement you sent for approval? Wait 24 hours.

Lines at the airport security checkpoint almost make you miss your flight? Wait 24 hours.

Sometimes it’s difficult to allow yourself that cooling-down period, but there are three reasons you should at least try:

1. You’ll be thinking more clearly when you’re not in a blind rage
2. The time will let your brain come up with more creative solutions to the problem
3. You won’t get yourself so wound up with consuming rage that you damage your health

Of course, not all situations need this kind of deliberate approach, and, in fact, some situations do require immediate action. But in most cases you’ll find this a good strategy that delivers surprisingly positive results.


Written by Ron · Filed Under Business Self-Defense™ Tactics, Mindset 

Comments

2 Responses to “The 24-Hour Rule”

  1. Norman Lende on March 2nd, 2010 10:30 pm

    I tend to be the kind of person who does let things bother me too much and do follow the 24 hour rule. But as you state some situations require immediate action. Sunday evening I waited too long to react to an overbooking situation with SouthWest Airlines and ended up not getting on the flight without an option to get on another flight. Flights for the next day on SW Airlines and on other airlines were also overbooked making it look like I would not get out until late the next day.

    Compensation for my inconvenience was far too little and has made me not want to fly on SW Airlines any more. I am now telling anyone I meet about my negative experience with SouthWest Airlines.

  2. Harriet Meyerson on March 3rd, 2010 3:02 am

    Hi Ron,

    Your 24 hour rule rang a bell for me. When I was a child I used to hear my mother tell my dad over and over, “Write the letter, but don’t mail it. Put it in a drawer for a week, and then read it again.”

    The reason she said that was that my dad would get upset at clients who were late paying him and write them letters that weren’t very tactful. He lost several clients that way.

    So, Ron, I know if people take your advice, they will stay out of a lot of trouble.

    Thanks,
    Harriet Meyerson
    http://www.ConfidenceCenter.com

Got something to say?