Dear you, to the lady that wants to start in business but is too afraid to take that step, to the girl who only dreams of owning a business one day, to the lady that is in business but has hit an inflection point. There are so many of us on different journeys. But you know what we all have in common? We all have a brain! But how do we train it? How do we use it, especially during challenging times? Mindset is everything when it comes to your journey or starting or running your own business. So here I have for you, some of my favourite mindset strategies that I lean into. I remind myself of these often especially being a young woman in a male-dominant, shark industry. I hope you’re able to find some of these strategies and topics valuable. Just know we aren’t all perfect. But if you remind yourself how you deserve the best & take steps to improve, you can change your world and the world around you.
CHANGE
Speaking of change, everyone goes through it. Hence why I’ve chosen this as one of my main topics. Hopefully, this can provide you with a slight insight into embracing change in any aspect of your life. I think we can all agree that change is a natural event and is inevitable. I’ve had to go through many changes in these last few years and what I’ve realised, is that change can be disruptive. Why? because we are creatures of habit. We like to have routines because it’s comfortable and change is uncomfortable.
I absolutely love this quote from the book Flight Of The Buffalo. “Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have, and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up”. People don’t know how good the new is until they let go of the old. This is something so truthful. Like the saying goes ‘You never know unless you try”. If we aren’t changing, we are not growing. Like they say – nothing good comes easy. Accept and adapt. Think; what specific action will you take this week to stretch yourself to empower, change and grow.
Lead with the WHY, not with the what. For example, if you’re moving countries. is the WHY – so you can be closer to family? So you establish a career? Another example: if you’re wanting to be healthier, why? It’s so you can have a longer life and a more happier a fulfilling lifestyle yes?
What will get you through? I find it’s best to set the right type of goals. Goals that are realistic and aren’t looking too far into the future. We can control the input but not always the outcome. Ask yourself, “under what circumstances do I bring my best?” Find patterns during the week where you excel the most. Analyse what drives this and maximise it. This will help with going through the motions of change and creating momentum with weekly self-reflection. So embrace change and as stressful as it may feel, it certainly could be for the better.
Actionable tip:Going through changes? Let’s first, breath and remind yourself
that YOU GOT THIS. Now for the action tip, write out on a piece of paper what change
you are currently going through. Why you may be going through this and a goal to get you through to the other side.
DECISIONS & HABITS
It’s true when they say, you are ONE decision away from changing your life. The best decision I have ever made was to be a healthier, happier human being. And let’s just say, it was never always like that.
I learnt about daily habits through different books (Atomic habits, The Compound effect etc) Your daily habits will literally make or break you. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, “How did I end up here’? The answer is, it didn’t just happen overnight. It could be a period of weeks, months or years of small daily decisions that ultimately led you to your current position.
Basically, if you want to change your current situation (body, health, finances, relationships etc) it first starts with….I can’t hear you!…A decision! Which may be the single biggest factor to your transformation. You must decide!
Once you’ve done that, understand that this will be a marathon, not a sprint! You will not get to where you want to be overnight. Understand that it’s a process and a journey, but if you never take that first step then forget it. Progress is progress. No matter how slow or fast. Learn to LOVE THE JOUNRY and know that you are ONE STEP CLOSER today than you were yesterday. And you are never to late to start. If you can control your daily habits and routine, then you are closer to reaching the results you desire. So in the future ask yourself “How did I get here”? You’ll know it first started with that simple decision. Never understimate it. You are creating your future.
Actionable tip: Start small. Start with one habit you’d like to change.
Want to read? Let’s start with two pages of a book that interests you.
Do this daily & watch the compound magic happen.
SETBACKS & RESILENCE
Sometimes this title can be mistaken for “failure”. This one is personally a BIG topic for me.
Picture resilience like a muscle that we can exercise every now and then, keep working at it and overtime your resilience will increase. When we go through life we have set backs and difficulties but remember, they DON’T define who you are.
When you have difficulties it DOESN’t mean you’ve failed because failure is part of the process, it’s feedback, it’s a lesson. Everyones journey is different. When you see someone successful , remember that they’ve had their share of knockbacks and difficulties. But they DIDN’T GIVE UP. You shouldn’t either.
Oprah as told shes not fit for TV, was fired from her first job and look where she is now?! When you choose NOT to be defined by the setbacks, you can achieve what you want.
Life happens. People will change their minds, won’t live up to their word and so forth. You must accept that but manage your emotions. Don’t suppress it, don’t be reactive but think “this is what’s going on for me & what is the best response, to this situation?”.
There’s always going to be challenges. Be SOLUTION orientated – not problem focused. Be cautious about who you spend your time with. Ask yourself – “are they uplifting me?”. Having a true, genuine support network is what will encourage you to keep pressing on. Don’t play the victim of your circumstance.
It’s important to be adaptable and flexible. Vulnerability and courage is interrelated.
We need to give ourselves the time to reflect, care for ourselves and process any negative emotions. Because if we expected something to happen and it doesn’t – we become upset. Manage your expectations and bloody cut yourself some slack
Good things will come at the end of this even though you won’t see it at the time. You always look back and find that you’ve gained something from that experience. It could be a new lesson, gaining new skills, a shift in perspective or simply learning something about yourself from that process.
Actionable tip: Tell yourself, “I am not a failure. I failed at doing something”.
There’s a big difference. Book recommendation? One of my favourite books that have contributed
to the way I think is by John C. Maxwell – ‘Failing Forward;. It will give you the actionable tools and steps
to ‘Failing Forward’.
To conclude, affirmations are a way to speak things into existence. If you have read ’The Secret’ which elaborates on the Law Of Attraction, then you know what I mean! If you don’t, well let’s start with some simple affirmations below. Consistency is key. Your world will change for the better.
AFFIRMATIONS
Morning affirmations in particular are perfect for preparing your mind for the day. It’s sometimes the way you look at situations in life that have the biggest impact. Next time you have a negative thought or when you first wake up in the morning, read these bad boys:
TODAY- Today is a gift. I am blessed to be here and given another chance at improving myself and enjoying life.
SELF-WORTH – I accept all parts of my physical and spiritual self. I understand I am a work in progress. I am worthy of love and respect.
HEALTH – I am prioritising my physical and mental health. I feel strong and well today.
GOALS – I will get to where I want to be and enjoy the journey and process in the meantime. I am constantly working to achieve my goals.
HAPPINESS – I am finding my own happiness and I will not worry about things I cannot control.
LOVE – I am love and I give love. I will be kind to myself today and those around me.
TOMORROW – Whatever happens today, tomorrow is a new day an I am excited for what tomorrow will bring.
There are so many different topics out there and an overwhelming amount of information overload. However, find what works for you and stick to it. Don’t overcomplicate it. The above information is what I do often and has helped change my life, so I hope it helps do the same for you. It all integrates into a much bigger picture of self-confidence, organisation, imposter syndrome and so forth. You’ve got this!
Much love, Kim