There are so many things that you have to do when you’re starting out and then growing a business.
It’s really easy to lose track of what’s important.
To try and do everything, all at once, to split yourself into two or three people.
But one of the biggest things that can stop you in your tracks, is your own mind.
The tricks that your head plays on you to stop you doing something that you aren’t sure of.
(And when you’re growing a business, there’s loads of things that you’re not quite sure of, every decision can feel like a minefield!)
You beat down some fears, do what needs to be done and then the next challenge comes up.
And the fears rise, you start to get these thoughts flashing through your mind, can I do it, who am I to be doing this, it would be easier to go get a job!
And maybe you procrastinate, do some more learning, take another course, torture yourself with some “competitor analysis” which just leaves you feeling worse.
And nothing gets done!
I know, I’ve been there, still am there sometimes.
I’ve gotten better at managing it, but I still wonder if I’m procrastinating. I know that there are times I stop myself doing something out of fear.
And I feel guilty if I put myself first. I started a business for more freedom, to set my own schedule, be responsible for my own life, live with more joy.
But it’s a struggle to balance that with building a business.
Not that it can’t be done but I know that I could work more hours and move a lot faster.
I struggle with the belief that that’s what I should be doing vs the longing to live a simple life, calm, serene, happy.
Mostly the joy wins! But not all the time. And I don’t like that feeling. Of guilt about what I should be doing!
When I forget to do the things that help, journal my random thoughts, reflect on what went really well and how much I’ve done, spend time on myself, that’s when the shit hits the fan (in my head)
Do you want to feel more joyous? Be happier, calmer, ditch the overwhelm so you can just enjoy the bloody journey?
Then start with your mind, because it’s there that you’re going to find the biggest transformation in your business.
I’ve learned over the past couple of years that it’s a continuous process.
Improvements are incremental. They build upon one another. Like the foundation for a house.
And if you don’t keep on doing the things that get you into the right frame of mind, then it’s easy to get stopped in your tracks.
There are three main ways of thinking that you have to deal with:
Fear
Because things like fear don’t go away. When you do something for the first time, it’s always a bit uncertain. Just like in my garden, I have no idea what plants will get through the very long hot dry summer and which won’t
All I can do is plan as well as I can. Make sure I put them where they are supposed to thrive, in the soil they should thrive in, water them and see how it goes.
I can’t get too worked up if they don’t make it. It’s a learning process!
All I can do is make sure I do my absolute best to make the best decisions with the information I have at the time!
Fear will stop you taking action.
And it’s only in the doing that we learn. Improve. Learn again. And on.
Thinking that you’re not worth it!
If you’ve started a business, you will no doubt be familiar with these thoughts:
- I don’t know enough
- I’m not an expert
- There are so many others that are better than me
- Why would anyone listen to me.
All the things we tell ourselves. Even if not consciously, they are still there, trying to keep you where you are, safe, comfortable, stagnant.
Because that’s what your mind thinks is the safe option!
I did that for years in my corporate job. Because I came up through the ranks and didn’t finish University, I felt somehow lesser. Not trained in my job.
And it stopped me from asking for a pay-rise, going for a promotion, telling people how good I was, so they knew about me and what I was capable of.
If I had, maybe I would have been happier! (probably not though, as I might have stayed!!).
When I was making the decision to start a business, I had to face that fear down. When I started working with clients and when I started to work out that I was going to have to put myself out there if I really wanted to market my services.
And every time, the one thing that has made a massive difference, dug me out of that hole I was teetering on, is really simple.
I write down all the things that I’ve accomplished. The goals I’ve hit, personal and professional.
Because success for me is not just about how much I grow my business, but also how much I grow, how much more joy I have in my life, the learning’s on the journey.
So I include, buying my first house, in Corfu, buying some land a year later, moving to Corfu in a transit van with my cat, the washing machine and a fridge (all the essentials!)
But also all the systems, tools, things that I have learnt along the way.
You know a lot more than you think so when you’re hearing that little voice or feeling overwhelmed because you’re just not good enough, remember where you’ve come from, how far you’ve come, write down all your experiences, skills, what you’ve done and put in some detail.
This is not the time to be modest!
Negative Thinking
Some people constantly think about the worst that can happen.
I think it’s more than fear, it’s a lack of appreciation for how great life is.
For how much you’ve done, achieved.
I went through a stint of that. Always saying no, to new experiences, new friends. The result was a complete lack of a life really. So much so that when I left my job, I realised that I had no interests!
And it was a gradual descent into this. I wasn’t always like that. But being surrounded by negative people can have that effect on you. Or not living the life that you want, feeling dissatisfied, as if there was more to life than this but not knowing what it was.
If you don’t deal with these things, start taking steps to turn them around, to take action in spite of how you’re feeling, then it’s going to stop you in your tracks.
And make you feel miserable!
So if you recognise any of these things in yourself, then put a line in the sand. Today.
Write down everything that you’ve done, all your unique experiences, the adventures, the lessons you’ve learned in life, the challenges you’ve overcome, the great things that other people say about you.
Put it all down on paper.
And then read it. Often!
