How to keep your business strong during uncertain economic times.
by Mary Beth Braun, NCTMB
We’ve all had times of growth and success, where everything seems to click and fall into place. Conversely, most everyone has also experienced the flip side of this, watching a new venture try and take hold or nervously looking for signs that business is slowing. Success and uncertainty are always going to be pieces of the career puzzle, and understanding how to focus more of your attention on the former rather than the latter can help you stay strong in the face of economic challenges.
Tap into your energy
Time is a valuable resource. But, if you don’t have the energy to achieve your goals-both personal and professional-having all the time in the world won’t matter. Being truly present with your clients is also difficult when your energy is low. Keeping your energy level up can help you focus on providing your clients with high quality service.
To get a handle on how you can increase your energy levels you need to first honestly assess how you are doing. If you find you are feeling low, there are a couple of quick things you can do to increase your energy. Take a look at the state of your personal and professional environment, noticing if these areas are clean, neat and organized or cluttered, chaotic and disorganized. Having an environment that isn’t organized and clean can be a real drain on your energy level and might make doing your best more difficult.
You should be compassionate with yourself when assessing your space. Getting down on yourself is counterproductive. Instead, use your evaluation as an opportunity for raising awareness and making some changes. Once you are aware of the clutter, chaos and disorganization, begin systematically removing these things from your personal and professional space. To avoid getting overwhelmed by the prospect of decluttering, start small by focusing on a single project.
Another fairly easy way to get your energy up is to create a good habit. According to author and speaker Matthew Kelly, you can raise your energy level by thinking about how your best days start and making a commitment to begin your days that way for the next 21 days. Generally, a person needs a minimum of 21 days to create a habit. If your best days start with prayer, meditation, exercise, a good breakfast and a hot shower, then why wouldn’t you start every day that way?
Think about how much energy you would have if you began every day with the habits that create your best days. For this exercise to be effective, you need to be sure to choose things that are within your control. For example, eating a good breakfast is in your control, but having the sun shining is not.
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