We are almost half way through the year! Can you believe that?! It seems like just a moment ago I was sat here writing about New Year Resolutions.
I’d like to take the opportunity to welcome all of those who are new to my weekly newsletter. It’s lovely to have you here and I look forward to having you along for the journey. Please feel free to hit reply to any of my emails and tell me more about yourself. I personally reply to all of my emails and I would love to hear from you.
As we fast approach that half year point I’ve started to hear a lot from my followers about ‘not being where you wanted to be’. So thought I would talk about WILLPOWER today. Willpower is absolutely required in running a business. Especially when you’re new to a market or when things start to get tough. I’ve found over the years that I have peaks and troughs of maintaining the willpower required to run my 2 businesses.
So what on earth is willpower?As described in the dictionary it means “to exert control to do something or to retain impulses.”
Does this sound like you? Does this sound like something you need?!Follow my 5 top tips below to help maintain the willpower to create your lifestyle business.
1. Alternate between being in and out of your comfort zone.
Sports psychologists and trainers often talk about stretching out of your comfort zone. Think of your ‘un-comfort’ zone as a new, untested and untrained muscle. If you can train this new muscle to work then this becomes an extension of your comfort zone. Let’s take an example in the wedding industry. Let’s say you find networking really uncomfortable. Set yourself an intention to network with one new person per month (that’s 12 whole new contacts per year). By month 2 you’ll realise you’re totally comfortable with this and this is no longer a stretching activity.
2. Set realistic goals.
I’m the first person to talk about setting goals and I truly believe this is an essential part of your business BUT they absolutely should be realistic (challenging but realistic!) Setting yourself unrealistic timescales to achieve things will quash any willpower you’d previously had.
3. Celebrate your victories.
I was so guilty of this in the early stages of my business and as a result the excitement for achieving my goals became muted by my own caution. Celebrate every single victory you make and celebrate in style. Tell yourself, “when I achieve x I will allow myself x”. Make your reward something that makes you feel special and feels like a luxury.
4. Be yourself.
This is key. You must build YOUR willpower for your own purpose, not for someone else.
5. Identify your weaknesses.
Locate the parts of your business where you struggle with motivation. This will be personal to you and will be an area that you lack control. You might tell yourself ‘don’t do that, you’re not good at it’. Self sabotage is a symptom of a lack of willpower so be mindful of this.
I hope these top tips will help you build your willpower – please let me know how you get on!
All the best
Faye x