Maintaining optimism in your business and marketing
Recently it seems that all the news has a negative spin. Positive stories are hard to find. The negative view point seems to be the only viewpoint expressed in media outlets. Conversations among colleagues and friends can easily become boring repeats of the bad news. How as a business owner are we to stay above the negativity when it’s all around us?
Having an optimistic outlook is important for business owners. It helps us remain motivated and less stressed. For entrepreneurs if you don’t have a positive outlook you just don’t make it! It can be really challenging to implement you marketing strategies and business plans when you are not feeling glass half full. By the way, it’s natural to feel flat and glass half empty some days. For success in business it’s important not to stay in that space too long. So here are a few tips that work for me but I’d also love to hear your tips as well so feel free to leave comments and suggestions on this post.
- Focus on what you can control
Block out as much negative banter as you can and get task oriented. You may not be able to control the economy or the way people think about things but you can choose how you spend your time. Look at what things you are able to control to improve your business or marketing like improving your website, tidying up your database etc.
- Refocus on your goals and revisit your why
Gaining some clarity around what you are aiming to achieve. Revisit the reason you have chosen these goals and why you are in business. Sometimes when the world feels noisy we can easily be pulled off our own track. Write it down and remind yourself every day if need be.
- Power of Music
Create a playlist of songs that make you feel good and play them when you are working. They may not necessarily be upbeat songs it could be a classic classical! Music is known for its power to transend a mood and even change your heart beat. That’s why major supermarkets invest so heavily in getting the right play list to get people in a good mood so they buy more! Shake off the negativity with a bit of a boogie If you need!
- Spend time with Optimistic People
Identify who are the people that you feel good being with and spend more time with them. Avoid people who have more negative conversations or who drain your energy. Business coaches usually have an abundance of optimism so consider working with a business or marketing coach. Networking events can be motivating and uplifting as well.
- Practising Gratitude
I’m sure you’ve heard of Gratitude Diaries that people absolutely swear by as a tool for greater contentment, calm and optimism. I personally find this super challenging to do on an ongoing basis (a bit like flossing your teeth) however it is a great habit to get into. For some people there is no diary involved just a daily reflection on what they are grateful for. A quick and easy thing to do is write down at the end of your working day one thing you are grateful for that happened in your business that day.
- Keep things simple
To avoid overwhelm break big tasks into smaller tasks and keep you to do list realistic. Give yourself the chance to tick off lots of things each day. Focus on the important tasks and consider seeking an accountability buddy so you stay on track and get things done. If you have to make changes to meet the current environment keep them small and manageable. Little actions over time always win over grand gestures that cannot be maintained.
- Find something joyful to do every day
It’s really up to us to keep our optimism tank filled. Finding something everyday that makes you feel good goes a long way to helping us stay optimistic. It might be walking with your dog and laughing at how goofy they are, savouring that first cup of coffee in the morning, lunch, talking to your favourite person, a 5 minute funny video or dancing like no-one is watching. Whatever your joy is remind yourself of it and try and get a little of it each day.
Business success comes from longevity. Sustaining ourselves through tough times is a really important skill and habit to develop. I hope this article reminds of little things you can do. I’d also love to hear anything that you have done in this area that has worked for you. Please leave comments below.
If you need more help with your business, finding your mojo or keeping your marketing on track. Please feel free to get in touch.
