What have you decided being successful in business is… that is holding you back from business? It’s usually all the ways we think business is, that we are not. They are the reasons we won’t go for it and follow through on creating a business that excites us.
We tend to put a large focus on qualifications and experience as the important part in creating a successful business, but I found that only to be one factor in a much bigger picture of being an unstoppable entrepreneur. For me, it is more about you and what you bring to the table as an individual. After all, there is only one of you, no one sees the world like you and nobody knows what you know, that is what makes you unique.
Once I started noticing my business growing and the idea of leaving my secure day job of 16 years was becoming a reality, I realised it didn’t matter that I wasn’t your classic “business person”, and what I thought that looked like. I had discovered there were other elements to creating a business that far outweighed qualifications and without these elements, business would stagnate and fizzle out quite easily.
So, where do you start and how do you keep going in the very uncertain world of being an entrepreneur? Here are 4 key elements that I discovered to stop holding myself back from creating a life and business that worked for me:
Get curious
When something captures your imagination, delve deeper. Don’t look for the reason why or what you can do with it and figure it all out before you decide whether it is worth your while to pursue. Check it out. Ask questions. Play with it. Do a little research.
For me, curiosity is a signal that there is something of value in it for me. It does not mean that you have to learn it all or buy it or use it. I find that by getting curious and asking questions, I collect and gather information that is extremely useful to apply to my business.
This was a huge factor in building my business. If I had decided “this is what I do” and “this is how I do it” that would leave no room for innovation and discovering all the nuances of what I love to do and what is unique to me. Let’s be honest, a lot of people will have a similar business or job to you, but the question, is do they do it exactly like you?
Curiosity allows you to explore your uniqueness and what makes you stand out from the crowd.
Being out of your depth is a good thing
We tend to avoid discomfort. A lot of the time, we see it as a sign to ease off. A similar sensation is overwhelm, that feeling that we have taken on too much. These are usually classic signs you are out of your depth. I call being in this unchartered territory “treading water.” It’s where your feet cannot touch the ground. This is a great place to be! It is a sign you are not going to settle for being mediocre or limiting to you or your business. Life always changes, so does your business. If you desire to be ahead of the game, to be that innovator and always charging ahead, comfort is not your friend.
Be grateful
Appreciate all the situations in your life – even if they are not ideal. I was in a job I really did not want to spend the rest of my life doing, it stressed me out, the atmosphere was intense, it was the kind of environment that would do nothing for your confidence, and I counted the seconds until I got to leave. I was miserable.
Gratitude is more powerful than regret, and it better enables you to see what you have learned or gained from each experience. I learned so much about the way people behaved, I watched dynamics and read situations to the point of precision where I always knew what was coming next. I now use this experience to my advantage, I sit on meetings, from interns to board meetings, and being aware of the dynamics and what’s at play in that moment gives you a lot of information.
When you are being grateful for everything you cannot judge situations as right or wrong. What if it was all just information?
Be willing to gather information, see what works and what doesn’t, and ask the question, “what would I do different?” It might be a minor tweak or a total overhaul. Being grateful for the information that transpired from either a personal or business experience can be invaluable. This works for your successes too!
Gratitude allows that space where you can have a spherical awareness of what is going on with a product, service or your business as a whole. It is one of the best ways to take off your blinders, so you avoid getting bogged down and distracted by the minutiae. There are times when we delve into detail and times we require an overall view, and gratitude is the key to allowing you the flexibility to create with your business and keep moving forward.
Believe in yourself
You have to believe in yourself first and trust that no matter what occurs, you’ve got this. You don’t have to have the answer, all you need is a curiosity and a willingness to explore. If you don’t believe in you, why should anyone else?
You might be one person, but you count; you matter. People are asking for what you have to give. Are you ready to step up to the plate and take a chance on you and explore? The choice is all yours.
