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The most dangerous belief you can have

Do you want instant success?

Most likely yes, right? We’re only human after all. A little instant success would be nice sometime, right? 

No effort or maybe a little effort, then wham! Great success! You achieve your biggest goal. You make all the money you wanted. You get 10 new clients in one day. Almost like a miracle, you get instant results.

Well, I’m here to tell you that the belief in instant success is a dangerous one. And I strongly recommend that you drop it completely. Right now.

We are all led to believe through the mainstream media and through social media that instant success is possible. Also, that it is not just possible, but that it is happening all the time. This is the problem. It’s a complete lie. (Yes, I’m taking a tough stance on this one today!)

It’s a lie.

Don’t buy into the overnight success stories.
Because they will steal your dreams.
Because they will disempower you.
Because they will make you doubt yourself.
Because they will make you give up.

The difference between your success or failure, both in business and in life, is your resilience.  Can you endure the challenges and still not give up?

If you buy into“instant success” you will give up too soon. You will doubt if you can do it at all. You will think something is wrong with you because it’s taking so long!

It’s meant to take long because that’s just how it is.

Completely erase the instant success idea from your mind and you will be willing to do anything, for as long as you need to, to achieve your success. (There is no other path anyway.)

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Who are you spending time with?

Perhaps one of the most overlooked practices in business growth and success is assessing your personal network. I mean, really asking yourself: “Who am I spending my time with?” and taking a moment to truly reflect on this.

Why is this important?

Because who we spend time with influences our own perceptions, our habits and our mindset. It’s important to note that this doesn’t just apply to people who are actually physically in your life. You are also influenced by the people and characters you follow on social media, the shows you watch and books you read. Basically whatever you feed your mind!

Unfortunately there are no exceptions to this rule. If you are a human being, you will be influenced by those around you whether you are conscious of it or not. On some level, the people who are currently in your life are influencing how you think and what you do. Does that scare you?

If the people around you are unmotivated and complacent, that will influence you. If they have a scarcity mindset, that will influence you. If they believe that life is hard, that will influence you too. Their perception of the world influences yours.

So how does that influence your business?

All of these subtle influences will add up to a shift in your own mindset and productivity. It won’t necessarily be noticeable- quite the contrary. It will be tiny things over time that shift you and at some point down the track you will realise you’re not exactly where or who you wanted to be. This is not a conscious motivation by those around you to derail you. They are just being themselves, living their lives. The point I am making is the necessity for you to examine the relationships you have and consider how they are already influencing you, which in turn reflects in your business results and overall life enjoyment.

You can start by considering the following questions about your current network:
Am I surrounded by supportive, positive people?
Do I know any business leaders or high achievers?
Am I watching/listening to uplifting and inspiring programs?
Do I need to let go of some old relationships that no longer serve me?
Are the people that I am spending time with, helping or hindering my personal and business growth?

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Signs you have a GROWTH mindset

Do you believe that your talents can be developed through hard work, good strategies, and input from others? Having a growth mindset will have a huge impact on your results in your business and personal life. The other great advantages to a growth mindset are the experiences of fulfillment, resilience and inspiration. Sounds good doesn’t it? So the question is… do you have a GROWTH mindset?

Do you identify with any of the following:
You embrace challenges
You persist in the face of setbacks
You view effort as the path to mastery
You learn from criticism
You can find lessons and inspiration in the success of others

If you can relate to all of these perspectives, then it’s congratulations to you! You definitely have a GROWTH mindset. If you can only relate to a few, that’s also good news slightly smiling face It means you’re already cultivating a GROWTH mindset. So keep working on it! Look at the areas where you may need to learn more, whether it’s embracing challenges or learning from criticism, and decide to make that your next area of improvement.

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How to enjoy your work more

running-man-1149787_1920I recently discovered something very powerful that totally changed my experience of working in my business. When it dawned on me I was shocked at the simplicity and also at my own internal resistance against it. Why would I be resisting something that worked for me or felt great? After some reflection I realised that underlying my resistance to this idea was actually just some good old expectation issues. You know, the “should” statements that your mind can make? I should be doing it this way. I should have more clients. I should be getting more done.

I was unconsciously should-ing, much more than I realised. I really was not aware that I had these expectations and so I want to share this realisation with you, in case you can relate too. It has helped me so much and really opened up a space to truly enjoy and be present with my work and my business.

I started to notice that while I was enjoying my work some of the time, there were many times when I would find the to-do list overwhelming. And the goals that I loved and really cared about, were not inspiring but actually intimidating. Then one day I noticed a shift. I had a day where I was absorbed in my work. I felt calm and I was really enjoying the process of what I was working on. At the end of the day I had not only been productive but I had truly enjoyed it all. Without rushing on to the next thing to do, I had taken my time to embrace each task, to be present with it. The result was amazing to me. I had never felt so good, so accomplished and working on “purpose”.

So what had actually happened?

I took the time to look at what I had done differently that day and here’s what I found: When I work at my own pace, it allows me to relax and focus on what is right in front of me. Instead of trying to rush through to maintain some other pace that I think I should be working at. If I actually work at the pace I feel comfortable at, it feels like joyful work and I get plenty done.

It’s simple, right? If you’re already doing this- hats off to you, well done! For some reason I had not put it together. Then I wondered, where did this idea come from? This idea that I had to be working at a certain speed, to be going at a certain pace? I’ve concluded there are a number of influences, some being an inclination to perfectionism, expecting instant results, being influenced by the latest personal development ideas on productivity and the old favourite- fear. All played a part in me feeling that I needed to be working at a certain pace. Of course the key is not to disregard everything that you have learnt to date about time management and productivity, rather it’s a matter of applying it in a way that works best for you and implementing it at your own rate of production.

After discovering this idea I realised I just needed to allow myself to slow down, to work at the pace that I enjoy. Having a plan is important, with a step-by-step process laid out. Then it’s just a matter of taking it one step at a time, in your own time. Working at a pace you feel comfortable with will totally change your experience of your work. Not only will you feel better but you will feel more engaged in what you’re doing and as a result, feel more “on your purpose”. And who doesn’t want more of that?

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Why you need a growth mindset

Do you have a growth mindset? Because as a solopreneur you are going to need one to sustain you and your business for the long term.

First, let’s define exactly what a growth mindset is. A growth mindset refers to the mindset or viewpoint that talent and intelligence can be developed. ie. you can grow and develop your skills and intelligence. The opposite to this is what is known as a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset refers to the viewpoint that all intelligence and talent is innate and that we are all given a certain and finite amount of ability. ie. what you already have, is what you will always have.

Which mindset do you belong to?

This is an important question because of the impact this directly has on the performance and development of yourself and your business. Your growth or fixed mindset impacts your motivation. It impacts your reaction to mistakes and failures. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the path of a solopreneur is often generously sprinkled with mistakes and failures 🙂 So, the way you view these mistakes and failures is really going to impact your journey and results.

Do you view mistakes as learning? Do you expect that not everything is going always work out the first time, or maybe even the second time, and that’s okay? Do you truly believe that you can develop your talent and skills through hard work, feedback and good strategies? If you can answer yes to these questions, then you are safely planted in the growth mindset zone.