Being a business owner requires a LOT of mental, physical and emotional energy. Even if you have a supportive team around you, ultimately you are responsible and accountable for your business results.
This means you have to maintain peak performance, for most if not all of the time, no matter what may be happening.
You have to have enough energy to meet deadlines and get the work done, you have to be at your best to serve existing and potential clients and you have to have clarity and focus when making important business decisions.
That’s why it’s important to have in place 3 key environments that will provide the rock solid foundation for your current and future success, sustaining and energising you through the ups and downs of business life. Without them you risk depletion, distraction and doubt….
Environment # 1– Whether you work from home or in a rented space your office or work environment is probably where you spend a good proportion of your time planning and working on your business. Having spent many years in a traditional corporate environment which was grey, plastic and open plan I’ve relished the chance to personalise my work space and send a signal that I value myself and my work.
The opportunity to create a home office that is individual, professional, energising, creative and attractive (and smells good!) consistently reinforces the way I want to feel about myself and my business. Being surrounded by my own pictures, furniture and technology in a clutter free environment helps to sustain that sense of achievement and success on a daily basis. If your office space doesn’t currently inspire and support you, even if you have limited space or funds, find ways to demonstrate the ‘I value myself and my work’ factor with interesting books, music, stationery, quotes, candles, plants and flowers.
Environment # 2– Who you spend time with socially and professionally will also have an impact on how you feel about yourself. As business owners we tend to be our own fiercest critics so we don’t need others to drag us down further! I recommend both personally and professionally surrounding yourself with others who are supportive and encouraging, and who understand that as an entrepreneur you will need to take some risks to grow.
Otherwise, if all you hear are other people’s fears and concerns you’ll start to doubt yourself, stay small and never pursue your dreams. As Jim Rohn said, ‘If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.’
Environment # 3– Intellectually it’s important to feed your mind and soul with information and ideas that will develop your understanding and awareness and trigger new ways of thinking and working. This might mean reducing the amount of time watching TV, listening to the news or reading negative stories.
For me, personally, I choose not to read newspapers and I’m very discerning about the TV/films I watch. I l prefer to use my time learning from mentors who are several steps ahead of me, reading inspiring books and updating my business knowledge. This helps me grow and expand my knowledge which in turn means that I provide better value and service for my clients.
Having these strong and supportive environments in place will not only help you build your confidence but will free you up from any negative or draining input, inspiring you to focus on the most important task of growing you and your business.
