Anthony Melchiorri, hotel fixer and host of Travel Channel’s Hotel Impossible, loves dishing out advice. From sharing best practices to tackling operational issues, he’s here to answer your questions. This edition of Ask Anthony originally appeared in LODGING‘s October 2020 issue.
Got a question? Send it to AskAnthony@lodgingmagazine.com.
What advice do you have for someone who is overwhelmed by the world and considering a career change?
The past few months have been intense and it is more important than ever to take care of your mental health to avoid burnout. You can use your leverage factor—that is, the number at which you become comfortable with change—to help guide you through difficult decisions by removing fear and stress.
Identify your primary stressors. Are they financially driven? Emotional? Let’s say you’d like to start your own business but are afraid to take the risk. Do you need to develop additional skills? Do you need a year’s worth of expenses saved up? Your current savings may equate to a leverage factor of six (not comfortable), but saving more money raises it to a nine or ten. Then it’s a simple decision to take the chance and not look back. Gaining leverage over the obstacles causing you stress will provide a clear plan to improve your life.
What would it take to be in a state of happiness with no regrets? Have confidence in yourself and transform your desires into leverage. Be intentional, conquering your doubts and insecurities. Learn from past failures by acknowledging where you may be lacking and where you’re wasting time. It is so critical to evaluate yourself in a real way, letting go of your ego and not getting caught up in what people may think of you. Don’t worry about the things that are not important or are outside of your control. Set serious goals, make sacrifices as needed, and raise your leverage factor high enough that you are comfortable with whatever changes you need to make. You must first take care of yourself to be able to serve others.
Don’t let a fear of failure prevent you from taking the leap. Seek out clarity, happiness, and freedom. Use your leverage factor to give yourself permission to do what you need to do and not look back.
