Please take a moment to read this in a comfortable place where you can be present.
Why?
I want you to take a moment to differentiate yourself from your inner critic.
Why?
This inner critic prevents many business people from either starting their own business, growing in their current company/business, and/or starting a side business.
This inner critic can freeze us, get us stuck, and in many cases, prevent us from living and building our dreams. Don’t let that happen to you. I don’t want you to look back years from now with regret. Rather than feeling dissatisfied, I want you to feel fulfilled and nourished daily – both mentally and physically – with the work you do.
I’m not suggesting that this will happen overnight, but there are things you can do to eliminate the distraction of that inner critic holding you back. The following exercises will move you away from saying things like, “I can’t do it,” “I don’t know how,” “It’s not a good time,” “I’m not good enough,” “I have no experience.” Those are inner-critic distractions. Every time you hear that commentary run through your head, say out loud or silently to yourself, “Shhh.” You must quiet that voice no differently than if another person were saying those things to you.
If you are looking to grow in any part of any business, here are three things you can do to keep your spirit alive and on the path to empowering yourself to take action.
1. Start Journaling and write it down
Here is what I see work over and over again: My clients are most successful when they buy a journal, open up a Word doc or use any notes app on their phones and commit to journaling every day or every other day for three months.
Write your ideas down and let them flow. What you will most likely find, if you are consistent, is that ideas will come from the previous ideas and birth completely new ideas. Commit to five minutes each day, or every other day, and begin getting your ideas on paper. Once you put them down in writing, it makes them tangible. The energy of these thoughts and ideas starts to shift and take shape.
2. Share Your Idea(s)
Don’t let the fear of someone stealing your idea or giving you negative feedback prevent you from sharing it. Embrace feedback and look at it as market research. This will help you pivot and evolve your idea. Always remember this, ideas are worthless without execution. No one can execute your idea with the same passion you can.
3. Create Your Back-of-the-Napkin Plan
Now that you have written down your ideas and shared them with others, it’s time to map out your back-of-the-napkin plan. This is a one-page document where you map out your business. In future columns, we will map out the structure needed to grow your business plan. That being said, you want to be able to articulate what your product or service is and what pain you are alleviating in the marketplace.
It’s time to start growing your new or current business. You have something deep inside your heart that you — and the world — are waiting for. Keep working until you see it and feel it. Together, we will piece this together month-by-month. You are on the road to deepen your passion or find a new passion altogether. Don’t give up. Stay consistent and stay in motion.
As you think about the above, ponder this riddle: Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four decide to jump off. How many frogs are left on the log?
The answer is five. The four frogs only decided to jump, they didn’t take action.
Start taking action!
Think Big!
Jon
