Let me guess; you are here because you are a small business owner. Running a business can be challenging. Negative thoughts tend to creep up on days when things are not going as planned. On such days, you may question your sanity and ability to keep your business running. We get it.
You may wonder, “How do I keep the thread mill going?” “How do I return to positive thoughts and mindset on days like these?”
These six tips and tricks will guide you on days when you feel yourself sinking in the rot.
1) Stay Organised
Being a business owner requires you to wear many hats. That means you will have to balance many tasks efficiently and effectively. Due to the negative impacts focusing on specific tasks at the expense of others can affect your business, it is necessary to stay organised.
You want to avoid the possibility of leaving essential tasks undone. To do that, it is important to put proper structure around daily tasks such as your finances, staff management and administrative duties. Doing these will go a long way in introducing some sanity for you and will save your business time and money in the long run.
2) Refrain from Negative Thoughts
Easier said than done, but this is possible.
How you talk yourself up is everything. The hack is to trick your mind into thinking positively. Instead of saying, “My product sucks! No one likes my product.” Instead, say, “My product is commendable, but there are areas I need to improve on to make it better.” How easy and refreshing was that? It would be best to adopt a problem-solving mindset to become more optimistic about things. Once you start doing this, it eventually becomes a habit.
3) Set Realistic Goals
Having ambition is excellent! But do not fall victim to over-ambition. You want to balance your ambition with reality. When you set unrealistic goals, you place undue pressure on yourself. That may sabotage your success. Setting realistic and attainable goals that consider your current circumstances and available resources is advisable.
For example, rather than setting a far-reaching target of 100 sales per month in your first month, try halving it to 40-50 sales per month. Once you attain that, you can always move your target by a couple of 10s or percentages.
4) Believe in Yourself
The long hours grappling with financial uncertainty and juggling everything can be exhausting, discouraging, and stressful. This may lead you to dwell in self-doubt. You have to believe in your ability to be successful. You need that personal conviction to run your business, and you need to keep it alive.
Stay positive and do not give up no matter what happens. Those who have endured to the end will find their reward.
5) Get Enough Sleep
The National sleep foundation requires adults to have 7-9 hours of sleep to improve their overall health.
This will be a challenging feat for you, especially in the early days of starting your business, because there will be so much you have to do. As the number one employee of your business, you must recognise that your business health is only as good as your health. And if you are unwell, so will your business.
It would be best if you only did what you could do for one day and continued from where you stopped the next day. To sleep better at night, consciously improve daytime productivity and keep your business hours strict and organised. Making this a habit will go a long way in helping you maintain a proper sleep routine over time.
6) Surround Yourself With Positive People and Energy
Just like anything in life, it is impossible to know and do everything on your own. The best way to learn is by speaking to people who have walked the path and know more than you do.
As a small business owner, finding or creating a support group of people in your niche who are equally doing well at their businesses is essential. Having this strong community helps you to answer questions you may have and provide insight on business struggles as you encounter them.
Creating a safe and vulnerable environment for yourself is super important. It gives you a supportive network of like-minded individuals at your disposal, with whom you can bounce ideas and come up with new ways to grow your business.
In summary, we have identified six hacks you can put to work to run your business better with a positive mindset. We understand that remaining optimistic in the face of challenges may seem hard. However, it is essential to remember that negative thinking will rarely allow you to grow or move forward. Above all else, you must remain confident that your business will succeed regardless of the setbacks you face.
