“Dhoni! Dhoni! Dhoni!”
There’s a reason people keep chanting his name when team India is in the most crucial situations—the man is the epitome of how to be cool and play your cards right even in the worst situations. Sounds similar to a financial crisis, right? Here’s how to deal with it ‘the Captain Cool’ way!
When it comes to beating the pressure and helping the team emerge victorious even from the most critical situations, there’s nobody better than our own Mr. Captain Cool! A couple of perfectly timed helicopter shots and within a matter of a few balls, the tables turn. While we all love him (in case you don’t, we’re warning you that you will, after reading this), the one question that keeps bugging us is—how can he be so cool all the time?
It’s not just his amazing captaincy skills or his cool cricketing shots that help us win. The way he handles the most critical situations without letting his thoughts reflect on his face is the real key to victory! Let’s see how we can take inspiration from his unique abilities to get over a financial crisis.
- Play it cool, like our Captain Cool
Dhoni got his name ‘Captain Cool’ because of his quality of playing it cool at all times. No matter how difficult the situation is or how badly his team is playing, you’ll never see him lose his cool. He doesn’t even let the pressure reflect on his face. That’s how cool our captain really is!
When it comes to facing a financial crisis, the most important thing that you need to do is—be calm and composed. We know it’s quite difficult but this is the only way to handle the situation well. Realising that you’re in financial trouble is scary enough. You don’t want your impulsive decisions to worsen the situation further for you. So, play it cool like our Captain Cool.
- Set your priorities straight, like Dhoni’s classy straight drive
Have you seen Mr. Captain play that classy straight drive? If you have, you must already know that he hardly misses the boundary line. Although you can’t actually play a straight drive when it comes to your finances, you can set your priorities straight. That’s what you need to do! Whenever you’re in a financial crisis, you need to clear your mind first and use your limited funds according to your needs and priorities. Your daily necessities will obviously top the list and other ‘not so important’ things can take the back seat for a while. Once that’s done and you know where your money needs to go immediately, half the work is done.
- Keep a hawk’s eye on low-interest rates, like Dhoni eyes the opponent’s flaws
If you’re a Dhoni fan, you must have seen him changing his strategies like a pro. It doesn’t take him much time to make some minute changes in his game plan that often make the tables turn. When his team is going through a bad phase, he keeps his eye on the opponent’s strategy and takes full advantage of the flaws in their batting or bowling line up. If he’s batting and the opposite team fails to lay the best field setup, the ball hardly stays in the stadium. That’s how you need to be! If you’re planning to take a Personal Loan for some immediate cash, you need to look out for the best interest rates possible. You can also check with your employer if they’re providing loans at a lower rate of interest.
- Use your short-term liquid funds like Dhoni uses the secret weapons in his team
Being the captain, Dhoni needs to take a lot of decisions spontaneously. His mind might be working faster than Shoaib Akhtar’s fastest delivery, for all you know! That’s how you need to think—on your feet. If you’ve some short-term investments somewhere, now is a good time to utilise them. When the Indian team is under a lot of pressure, Dhoni always puts his best players forward. This is what you need to do too! What can be a better time to use your financial resources than a financial crisis? Don’t worry! Once you’re out of this situation, you can always invest more and better than before.
- Use cash for most of your daily expenses, like Dhoni advises bowlers to bowl according to the field setup
Dhoni doesn’t shout or scream on the field like some other captains we have seen. But there’s one thing he keeps telling his bowlers, especially in the last few overs—bowl according to the field setup. That makes sense as it tremendously increases the chances of taking some crucial wickets and often helps save the last winning runs. Wondering how you can use that in a financial crisis? Here’s how—like Dhoni asks bowlers to bowl according to the field setup, if you find that you are unable to manage your Credit Card spending properly, you need to limit yourself from using your Credit Card and use your Debit Card or cash instead. It will help you stick to your budget better. If you have any food cards or coupons, now’s when you should use them.
- Treat time like money and don’t waste it, like Dhoni never lets the over rate slow down
One of the most crucial qualities of a great captain is—keeping the over rate from slowing down. Of course, slowing it down a bit too much can lead to some heavy penalties too! Whenever we’ve seen Dhoni as a captain on the field, he ensures that no matter what, the game continues at its normal speed. Similarly, you need to treat time like money and need to stop wasting it too. As soon as you realise that things have gone wrong and you’re about to face a financial crisis, you need to start planning! If you take the initial phases of a crisis too lightly, you might not get enough time to mend things later. Therefore, put your best foot forward and instead of procrastinating, make a plan and stick to it.
- Don’t pay too much heed to what others say, like Dhoni only does what he thinks would work for the team
There have been many instances when experts have criticised Dhoni’s decision-making. But has Dhoni ever been affected by it? No! According to him, since he knows the game well, knows the strengths and weaknesses of his players, and most importantly, is actually on the field, his decisions make more sense. He’s confident about his decisions, like giving the last over to Joginder Sharma in the 2007 ICC World T20 Finals. Many people thought that it was the worst decision he’d ever taken but we’re all aware of what happened post that! India won and we all celebrated! Like Mr. Captain Cool, you need to have faith in your decisions, especially during a financial crisis. If you’re unsure about something, you can always talk to an expert. Don’t make all your decisions based on what others think because ultimately, you’re the one going through the crisis and no one knows the struggle better than you.
If you’re a Dhoni fan, you’ve probably become a die-hard fan after reading this and if you’re not a fan, we hope reading this has changed your mind! Keep watching this awesome man play, but also start implementing his cool principles in your daily life. We assure you that you’ll see a difference, a huge difference!
Next time you’re in a financial crisis, face them the Captain Cool way!