As small business owners, we soon discover running a business is our most challenging personal development journey. One minute you’re on a high and ready to conquer the world, and the next you feel like walking away.

Building a resilient mindset plays a huge role in your ability to be successful - and the great news is - it’s something that can be developed.

The powerful combination of a resilient mindset and acting is the difference between those who are successful holistic practitioners, and those who dream about it but never quite make it.

Optimism Alone Doesn’t Work

It’s scary how many newly qualified holistic practitioners rely on pure optimism to get their businesses going. They start out feeling positive, set their intentions with the Universe, and wait for the magic to happen. And nothing! Before long they’re floundering and not sure what to do next.

Whilst I believe in the Law of Attraction, you can’t just set your intentions and sit back and wait for them to happen. You must demonstrate that you’re serious about succeeding and take the appropriate action to make it happen.

Stuck in a Mindset Rut

When you’re stuck in a mindset rut, time flies and you never get around to doing the important tasks on your job list - the ones that will help you grow your business - like marketing and sales.

It’s especially true if you’re prone to procrastination, overthinking, and perfectionism. It’s very easy to get caught up in the planning and organising stages of projects and feel overwhelmed by the immensity of them. Before you know it, you’re a month past the deadline, and you still haven’t even started.

It’s time to stop thinking and dreaming - and start doing!

Know Your Distractions

With today’s fast pace of life, it is easy to get distracted - sometimes for hours with social media, smartphones, emails etc. And especially if you work from home, there are daily tasks, other people, and all sorts of interruptions that can distract you from your work. We often use these distractions as a way of avoiding acting on the important things as they keep us busy - but in an unproductive way.

Recognise your distractions and put a strategy in place so that you can focus on your priorities. For example, limit the times you check your emails and social media, or put your phone on silent.

I've found I have to set strict boundaries with myself around working from home. I now have time before work and at lunchtime to play with the dogs, do chores, and arrange catch-ups with friends.

Reality Check

The skill of getting things done supersedes talent and intelligence and by cultivating this skill, you’ll be far more successful in your chosen field.

A quick reality check will help you to ensure you’re doing the right things that will move you forward quickest. If you struggle to do this for yourself, a business buddy or coach will help you with this.

The things you value come at a cost whether that’s your time, hard work, or financial. There is an opportunity cost to everything you choose to do so it’s important to spend your precious time and resources wisely.

Being realistic about what’s happening in your business will help you to navigate the challenges as they come up and see the opportunities that arise. They may be hard to admit at times but at least you’ll be ready for them, rather than be caught napping.

Resilient Self-Coaching

Being in business is a huge personal development exercise and will test you to the limit. It can also help you to become strong and resilient – you’ll discover what you’re made of, and capable of.

Part of taking action is facing your fears and finding the courage to move on. Creating a great inner coach will help you do this. Think about the qualities of a great coach and create your own - one who is supportive, kind, objective, and believes in you.

What Stories Are You Telling Yourself?

Listen to the stories you’re telling yourself – these are a reflection of your beliefs whether they’re positive and supportive or limiting and negative. Recognise the ones that are reinforcing your fears and limiting beliefs that are getting in your way.

Ask yourself what you want to feel and believe instead of running the old stories – use positive words here as it is giving your brain direction and be very descriptive. Now anytime you hear unhelpful stories, change them to ones that are useful and start coaching yourself to reinforce what you want to feel and believe instead.

Tell yourself you can and will do this, that you deserve to be successful. Reinforce why you want to be successful and remind yourself of what you’ve already achieved.

Just changing this voice will help you to navigate the fears and build your resilience. And know that most of the time, once you’ve moved past the fear, you’ll discover the fear is often worse than the reality.

Act

Forget about waiting for the perfect time to act – it never arrives. Instead decide to do a job that is good enough, one that serves the purpose it needs to.

Think about someone you know who’s a brilliant action-taker - they will be a great role model for you. Consider the times they have an idea, and how they respond to it - what can you learn from this person to apply in your business?

Make a commitment to yourself and set an achievable timescale to complete it. Then work backward, deciding the milestones and steps you need to take - and take the first one NOW.

You’ll be amazed at how much more you will achieve by acting on the things that will make a difference in your success.

Get Support

Surround yourself with people who will support you and help keep you accountable. Whilst you need to build a resilient mindset, having like-minded people travelling with you will make the difference between struggling alone and success.

If you’re struggling to make the impact you desire in your business, it’s time to get professional support – book a discovery call with me, and let’s have a chat about how I can help you succeed.