This week I’ve been reflecting on how to stay the course. It’s easy to get distracted or feel overwhelmed and not find the energy to change things or make a plan. Or we convince ourselves that it’s the wrong business or the wrong market or the wrong partner, so we should simply stop and start over. How do we know whether to stick with what we’re doing? How do we stay focused and keep our head in the game?
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” Dale Carnegie
How do you keep your head in the game?
We all have moments of doubt. We all second-guess ourselves from time to time. With business failure rates rocketing it would be easy to conclude that what you’re doing isn’t working. Being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone. There are no guarantees and many people give up or fail. But running your own business and being in control of how you spend your time is fantastic. Many people (including me) couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
Many people who stubbornly stay the course end up succeeding. They keep creating products and solving problems. But if you can’t live with the very real risk of failure then you’ll struggle to stay the course. Most people don’t move outside their comfort zone or take too many risks. They settle for average or easy and that is absolutely their right. But if you want to build a business, you’ll need to be prepared to work hard and back yourself, even in those dark moments when nothing seems to be working.
In my bestselling book ‘The REAL Entrepreneur; How to simplify, grow and enjoy your business’ I place a lot of emphasis on resilience. In fact I dedicate a whole section of the book to it because giving yourself what you need is just as important as doing the right things for your business. Starting, running and growing a business is hard. Being an entrepreneur can feel like being in a car with no brakes on an icy road or being blindfolded and spun round before being asked to pin the tail on the donkey. It can be overwhelming, infuriating and exhilarating all at the same time. The ability to get back up when you’ve been knocked down is an important trait for anyone to develop, but for entrepreneurs it’s vital.
Here are my Top 10 Tips to help you keep your head in the game:-
🌟 Act on fact. Don’t be clouded by emotion or opinion. Measure, test and refine. Make decisions about your business based on real data.
🌟 Have a plan. When nothing seems to work, having a plan and sticking to it can be a godsend. But remember a plan is worthless without action!
🌟 Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Learning new things, taking risks and pushing boundaries will help keep your creative energy engaged.
🌟 Don’t procrastinate. It’s always better to make a decision or take an action than getting stuck. They won’t all be ‘right’ but most will.
🌟 Prioritise. If you’re working hard and not getting anywhere, take a step back and look at your priorities. Is it important or just urgent?
🌟 Be present. Don’t dwell on the past or get carried away by the future. Focusing on where you are in the journey will help you stay the course.
🌟 Back your people. Nothing makes people perform better than knowing you believe in them. Give them confidence even if you’re not feeling it.
🌟 Don’t make excuses. It’s a complete waste of time and energy to focus on all the reasons why things aren’t working. Much better to focus on solutions.
🌟 Set goals. Giving yourself small wins is a great way to stay the course. Set yourself goals and focus on achieving them.
🌟 Stay positive. Some days will be better than others. Try to focus on what can be done rather than everything that can’t.
It’s completely unrealistic to expect yourself to know everything or be able to do everything. Please be kind to yourself and if you’d like to talk through the choices you’re facing or any blockers in your business, let me know.
Lisa Zevi – May 2021