There are many resources, motivational videos, books, and podcasts on how to stay positive but not a lot of them look at the subject from an entrepreneurial perspective. Entrepreneurship is a uniquely challenging but rewarding roller coaster of ups and downs that requires some very specific strategies to navigate the challenges. Here are three tips specifically for entrepreneurs seeking to uplevel themselves and their business.
Tip 1: Remember that You Are Your Brand
As an entrepreneur and a business owner, you are your brand. If things aren’t going well on the home front and you get into a meeting with an important client, you still need to remain professional and composed at all times no matter how much you may be struggling internally. To be successful, you truly have to do the things that other people aren’t willing to do, which sometimes means putting on a smile on the outside however much you may be crying on the inside. However, ensure that you take some time after your meeting or presentation to address the source of the issues or stress. Keeping thing bottled up and unresolved will eventually affect your productivity.
Tip 2: Keep Moving (or Press Pause)
First and foremost, keep moving. If something is not going right in one part of your family life or business, there are always a zillion other things in your life you will need to continue taking care of. For most entrepreneurs, when your business is in its infancy, you are everything. You’re the accountant, you’re the payroll person, you’re HR, you’re everyone. And if you stagnate or fall apart, everything can be destroyed. When one aspect of life isn’t going right, instead of sitting and wallowing or focusing on this negative energy, keep moving forward. If you have to complete your payroll or if you have to write a plan for your client, do that. Focus on income-generating activities. Focus on things that will propel your business to the next level. Because if you get caught in that negative energy it’s only going to pull you down. Remember from Tip 1, you are your brand on every level and your business will always be a reflection of how well you’re keeping it together.
If you find it impossible to keep moving, the other option is to pause. Try meditation. Taking a break can be as simple as five minutes away from your desk. Let’s face it. We’re business owners, we’re trying to launch our business or keep our businesses successful. We don’t have months, weeks, or even days to go off and meditate. But we can always take five minutes to sit in silence. Depending on your belief system, you can approach mediation from a spiritual level or purely as a relaxation strategy. Try to get your mind focused. Alternatively, you can enjoy an activity that allows you to lose focus. Sometimes, I’ll step away from a stressful time at work and watch a TV show for 30 minutes – something that makes me laugh or cry. And then I come back tough as nails ready to get things done. Take a break. And then come back stronger. Remember that negative energy is just that. It’s energy. You want to change the energy flow whenever you’re in a negative environment or headspace.
Tip 3: Remember Your “Why”
My most important tip for entrepreneurs is to always remember your “why.” Remember why you’re working until midnight. Remember why you may not be paying bills on time. Remember why you started this business. Remember why you have this energy and this passion. Remember why you want to change the world. What inspired you? Who inspired you? Get caught up in that “why.” Get refocused and get refreshed. And that is going to change your negative situation. I’m not going to promise it will change immediately. But it will change your energy and once your energy changes, everything about your business changes. Because when you’re an entrepreneur, you are your business on every level. When you change your energy and remember why you’re doing this, you become ready to take on the world. And that means continuing to make progress.
No one is immune to encountering negative situations. Inevitably, you’ll spill something on your shirt as you’re walking into a meeting, get into an argument with your spouse, or you might have a fender bender on your way to work. Things happen. Life happens. But despite the circumstances, we need to always make sure we are laser focused on our business, on our dream, on the seed that we planted and that we continue to nurture.
