When I first started my business, it seemed like all I did was work – and work and work. Every moment of my life was dedicated to getting my business going. If I had a second where nothing was going on, I felt guilty and stressed and thought, “I can’t just not do anything. What am I missing? What else do I have to do?” After a while, I realized that I was burnt out and stressed day in and day out. More than anything, I missed my happiness.
I came to place where I had to ask myself, “Is this the way I want to run my business? Where is the joy?”
I know what you’re thinking. Joy is not often considered a part of business. It is the least thought about ingredient for a successful business… but for me, joy has always been what made me successful in every area of my life and, especially, successful in being me.
What was your initial target?
So, I asked myself, “What was my initial target in creating my own business?” I remembered it was to enjoy my life more, inspire people around the world to know what they know, and to empower them to discover the ‘strongness’ hiding behind their wrongness and diagnosis.
Business for me is about expressing what I be and know, and to make that available to others.
Now, let me ask you. What was your initial target with creating your business? We are different and no target is a wrong target. If it is money great! If it is to change the world, great! If it is both and more, great! We tend to forget after a while and work takes over. Remember what made you start your business. Your target, and the acknowledgment of it will turn you and your business in the right direction again.
Your target is like your navigation system to success.
Learn to relax and listen!
As soon as I acknowledged what made me want to start a business in the first place, everything changed. I relaxed.
When you relax, things change. What lack of relaxation are you using to avoid the successful business you could be choosing?
Most of us have learned to not relax and to be on the run all the time as though this is how to create anything. When you relax, it becomes easier to listen to everything and everyone around you. You get more information quicker and easier which make business decisions easier. Ideas and solutions can present themselves to you when you relax and listen.
How can you practice relaxing and listening? Here is a tool.
Wherever you are right now, feel your body. Feel your feet on the ground. Put your hands on your body and feel the connection between your hands and your body. Now feel the room around you at the same time while you feel your body. Relax into the room around you as though you are expanding yourself into the room. Expand out and occupy all the space in the room you are right now. Now go out further and occupy the space outside of that room. Now go even further and occupy the city you are in…the country…the continent. Go out as far as you like and at the same time feel your body. Now be with that space and as that space. The more you do this exercise, the more you will notice that you can relax, receive more and have an easier time hearing the ideas that come to you.
Force yourself to do something fun!
After realizing my initial target with my business and learning to relax and listen, I also discovered that I had forgotten to care for me, my body and especially forgotten to do things other than just work. I was convinced that working and being seriously professional would lead me to success. Yes, it might, but it was excluding me and my body.
What is success worth if you are not included?
I forced myself to have fun. When my mind said: go to your computer and work, I would ask my body, “What do you desire?” My body had a different idea. It said, take a walk, get a massage, enjoy you! So, I did. The result was totally unexpected. Every time I listened to my body, my business would expand, and I made more money. Say what? Yes! Our bodies are part of our business! If you include it, it will show you ways of improving your life.
Actually, your life is supposed to be your business; not your business your life! You are not your business.
What is your body telling you that you keep ignoring? Start listening to it. Have fun and watch your business grow.
Are you ready to be different and create your business the way only you can? What do you know about creating a business that you can start to discover? How about finding out?
This is an edited extract from Susanna Mittermaier’s section of The Very Greatest Adventure…Is You Truly Being You
