As we lay rest to last year and look to a new year with hope and renewed vigor, now is as good a time as any to reflect on the successes and failures of years past.
When reflecting I ask you to dig deeply in to last year's failures and really look for the underlying cause.
Many people will blame a poor economy, lack of clients, reduced opportunities, changing regulations or financing, you name it, these past few years have provided ample opportunity for great excuses and varying reasons.
That may not sit well with some of you but let's face it, in spite of the ailing economy, poor housing market, financial crises, and numerous other "symptoms of the Great Recession" there have still been businesses making money, expanding, and succeeding.
If your business isn't one of them I ask you to consider this - "What role did you play in sabotaging your business's success?" This is not an easy question, and facing the truth of the answer isn't any better.
Let's face it, unless your business was affected by natural disaster, war, or a government mandated shut down, you probably had choices and options available to you in the past year to change, expand, and grow your business, whether you realize it or not.
What "ways" of doing business in the old economy have held you back from succeeding in the past few months? Which old habits have been limiting you from expanding in changing economic conditions of uncertainty? What limiting beliefs have made it difficult for you to move forward? As difficult as it may be to admit, many of us have had ample opportunity to improve our business and economic situation over the past few years.
Unfortunately, a large number of small business owners have been so busy blaming external circumstances and feeling sorry for themselves that they have missed many of the opportunities that would have propelled their business forward and in to the new economy.
Even in-spite of the current challenges we all face, opportunities abound if you are able to let go of old habits and ways of thinking and look for ways to capitalize on the current chaos in the market place.
Here are some proven strategies to overcome bad habits and limited thinking and propel your business forward in spite of any exterior market factors.
1.
Look to others for insight and assistance.
Regardless of how long you have been in business, how well your business has performed, or how much you may currently "think you know", surround yourself with other successful business owners and advisers.
Challenging situations require high level thinking, curiosity, multiple view points, and creativity.
It is much easier and more efficient to rely on a team of advisers and friends that can point out many of the nuances you may be missing.
Perspective is one of the biggest factors that can help you overcome obstacles, unfortunately regardless of how smart you are, how much money you have, or how good you may be, you only have one perspective - your own.
In order to see things from different viewpoints rely on your circle of influence to provide insight and perspective on where you are, how things look, and where it makes sense to go from here.
2.
Adopt new ways of thinking and doing.
Most of us have patterns of behavior and habits that have formed over time.
These patterns, beliefs, and behaviors are often some of the biggest obstacles standing in between where we are now and where we want to be in the future.
Recognize that what got you here most likely isn't going to get you there and look for ways to change yourself.
Take a new route to work, try a new food, read a book that goes against your beliefs, it doesn't really matter what you choose, as long as it goes against what you would normally do.
By challenging your habits and patterns and opening yourself up to new experiences you will ultimately open new pathways to new opportunities.
Find joy and delight in the nuances of new experiences and leave the comforts of habit and familiarity behind.
3.
Revisit past success.
Reflect on past successes and opportunities and look for hidden gems in those experiences.
Often times as business grows and stabilizes we become lazy and begin to neglect many of the things that brought us success in the first place.
Think back and look for habits and behaviors that you may have adopted in the early years of your business and be honest with yourself - are you still acting the same way and doing similar things? Are you making as many sales calls, looking for new opportunities, building new relationships? Or are you still trying to hold on to the ones you have? It is crucial that you be honest with what got you to here and what will ultimately get you through this next challenge.
4.
Brainstorm.
Since the entire system is currently in chaos and no one really knows which way is up, take advantage of it.
Everyone has been affected and most people and businesses currently understand that change is rapidly occurring everywhere.
Take advantage of the upheaval.
If you were hesitant to launch a new product or open a new market because current clients might question your motives - GO FOR IT.
Most critical eyes have become more understanding as the realization has set in - in order to survive in the upcoming years you must be able to adapt quickly, change constantly, and try new things.
Now is the best time to test a new product, open a branch, or explore a new opportunity.
I advise against randomly throwing money around, but if after careful analysis and consideration an idea seems viable, now is the time to test it.
5.
Face Your Demons.
Are you afraid of what lies ahead? Uncertain of what to do? Not sure of yourself and where your future lies? There has never been a better time to reflect on who you are, where you are headed, and why you may want to go there.
Open yourself up to consider what it is that you truly intend to do with your life and how your business can afford you that opportunity.
Embrace the uncertainty you face on a daily basis and use it as an ever-changing opportunity for personal growth and development.
Look for the things in your life that upset you more than most and you may have found the area that you will want to focus on.
Relationships, money, control, religion, politics, what area of your life is the most confrontational or off-limits for you.
Start there.
6.
Design a road map.
After all the aforementioned thinking, reflecting, and analysis, formulate a plan.
What have you learned? Where do you need to improve? Where do you want to go? What skills do you need to develop?/ Who is going to help you succeed? Begin to formulate a plan for who, what, when, where, how, and most importantly why.
The bigger your WHY - the reason you want to succeed - the easier everything else becomes.
Start with the end in mind - determine your why, why do you do what you do? Why do you want to go from here to there? Once you have that determination made, formulate a plan that will get you from your current situation now to the ideal scenario you envision in the future.
7.
Don't Go it Alone.
Enlist the support of family, friends, and business associates.
Morale support is one of the biggest assets you may utilize in your desire to move forward.
Communicate your goals and objectives to key people in your life and ask them to hold you accountable.
Look to those around you to provide external motivation and ultimately to hold you accountable.
Share your visions and aspirations with as many people who will listen and look for their input and feedback.
Formulate a plan based on the discussions you have and incorporate the feedback you receive in to your business and daily life.
Ultimately the biggest obstacles most of us will face in life are our own self-imposed limitations and beliefs.
Use these 7 strategies to build momentum in your business and ultimately to get you moving from here to where you want to be.