Have you ever had a day where you couldn't get started? You thought that things were holding you back? I have had days like this, no matter what I tried to start, writing a blog post, creating my next webinar training even creating my next course, it just wasn't happening. It’s a rare business owner who—at some point—doesn’t feel stuck and thinks that their business is lacking something.
Perhaps you're in the early stages of burnout. Perhaps you aren’t reaching your goals and can’t seem to get past the income ledge you’ve found yourself on.
All of this is perfectly normal in business. But staying stuck or on your ledge isn’t.
Successful small business owners figure out how to overcome the hurdles, wade through the overwhelm and continue to grow their business.
The first step is to determine what exactly is holding you back and what you're lacking in your business:
Lack of Clarity
When you don’t really know what it is you want from your business, you’re experiencing a lack of clarity. Maybe you aren’t clear on who you’re meant to serve, or can’t quite envision your sales funnel. Or maybe you can’t even picture your signature training course in its entirety, or the thought of selling it leaves you in a haze of confusion.
These are all symptoms of a lack of clarity, and they can stop a business dead in its tracks.
Here's what to do if you lack clarity in your business
- Breathe, and remember to keep breathing.
- Grab a journal or notepad and empty your mind into it. Write everything down. Use coloured pens. Use highlighters. Dump your brain into the pages and then make a cup of tea (with a side of hobnobs if possible)
- Don't look at your journal for 24 hours. Make a note of what keeps surfacing in your mind
- Look at your journal and look for the patterns and the things that rise to the top.
This technique can help you get clear on what your next step is and why it's important to you.
Lack of Focus? Start Here:
If you’re clear on your goals but you’re having trouble moving forward consistently, then a lack of focus might be your trouble. You head to your office each morning with purpose, but by lunchtime, it’s clear you haven’t accomplished anything you set out to do.
You’re not a bad person, or even a shoddy entrepreneur. You're just having trouble focusing on the next step that needs to happen to make your dreams come true.
Finding focus is easier than you think
Try this: With your end goal in mind, brainstorm the next physical action you need to take to achieve it. So if your goal is to build a 4-week
Tried the next step and you still lack focus? Get your smartphone out.
Brain.FM is one of my go-to apps and you can listen to a “focus” piece of music that will help you. I love music and understand deeply how music can help you move between states and change how you feel – it really works well. The next time you listen to music be present:
- Listen to the lyrics.
- Listen to the beats.
- Listen to the emotions.
- Notice how you feel – feel good? happier? note the song down and listen to it again when you need a lift.
- Create a playlist of your “emotions” and remember to include a focus playlist.
If you find this doesn't work for you, I highly recommend hypnotherapy. I use Hypnosis Downloads
A fantastic resource to help you regain your focus amongst the many other things they help you with
I often skip Brain.fm and jump straight to the hypno – for me, this brings faster results.
Lack of Excitement
Bored? Lost interest in that business you once loved? This is, unfortunately, pretty common among entrepreneurs. That’s why we see so many of them jumping from business to business, never spending enough time in any one business to see it through to success.
Staying excited about your business starts with having a dream and a vision that keeps you going even when you’re faced with the day-to-day drudgery that every small business owner encounters. Not everything is fun when you’re running a business, and I know I won't be popular for saying it out loud. It's how you get through the dull and boring days that make a difference.
I take a minute and think of my girls, Sarah my wife and Bones our German Shepherd and remember my business provides the environment for me to be able to spend the time with them all, when I want, doing what we all enjoy. Your reasons for doing and being an entrepreneur will keep you motivated.
Planning for Future Success
Want to know how to easily fix all these issues (and more) on a permanent basis? It’s a simple technique that the world’s most successful entrepreneurs have been using for decades: vision boards. These fun and colourful tools are often just what you need to clarify your dreams, work out your next steps, and stay excited about your business.
We hang ours on the office wall, and we can see at a glance our hopes, dreams, and vision for our business. I won't deny it; there's a lot of sparkle on my vision board.
Vision boards can be as simple as a few images clipped from a magazine and pinned to a corkboard, or as complex as a framed poster with handwritten quotes and 3 tubes of glitter. The choice is yours. It’s completely personal, fun, and best of all, it works.
Give these things a try next time you’re feeling stuck in your business. And if you're not stuck, share your tips in the comments for becoming unstuck and envisioning your success.
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