Name: Christine Chieng
Title: Community Manager
Company: Piedmont Apartments, Evans Property Management
1. Don’t take it personally. Not everything is about me. Sometimes people are insensitive, judgmental or just plain in a bad mood. I accept that and move on.
2. Avoid all-or-nothing thinking. Seeing some situations in shades of gray helps me realize that fresh perspectives exist.
3. Don’t “should’ve” and “would’ve” yourself. Time spent looking at the past is wasteful, as it would be better used focusing on problem solving.
4. Stop negative thoughts in their tracks. Whenever I hear myself thinking a negative thought, I stop and replace it with a positive thought. Instead of thinking, “I’m no good at this,” I stop myself and say, “I am getting better, each and every day.”
5. Avoid jumping to conclusions. When confronted with what appears to be unwelcome circumstances, consider taking a deep breath or a full step back in order to get all of the information.
6. Don’t look for the negative when it isn’t present. If we go in ready for a fight, there usually is one.
7. Ask yourself, “Would you rather be right or happy?” Stubbornness can cost you the opportunity to accept an apology or consider a different point of view.
8. Do what you can and then let it go. It’s as simple as that.
9. Never magnify a problem. There’s a difference between perception and reality. Seeing a situation for what it really is instead of what it feels like helps me stay grounded. Magnifying a problem gives the problem more energy and can make situations larger than they need to be.
10. Celebrate. Celebrate the good things when they happen.
If you would like to be considered for a future End Points column, please contact Jeff Lee at 703/797-0647 or jeffreylee@naahq.org.