Image courtesy of Stock Vault
This is the most important relationship mentioned in our series ~ the relationship we have with ourselves.
Indeed, the relationship you have with your clients/customers is very important. No customers = no business. And if you don’t tell anyone and get the word out (via marketing and media) about your business, it makes it challenging to make sales and stay in business, so this, of course, is also very important.
But, if you don’t take care of you…well, there is no business.
When it comes to being an entrepreneur/business owner or thinking with an entrepreneurial spirit, there are a few things to remember to help maintain, nurture and improve the relationship you have with yourself (and these can also be applied to life!):
1) Keep Learning. Change is inevitable in business, and that means you should grow, evolve, and continue to learn, too. Enjoy your accomplishments, but don’t simply rest on your wins. Being in business means you are an active participant in its growth. The more open you are to learning, the more your staff and colleagues will be, and the better you’ll be. Also, share what you learn. Learning is a give and take process, and by sharing, you continue to learn. (Plus, sharing keeps you from getting lost in the consumption of information. The internet has made learning endless. Give yourself time to execute!)
2) Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself. Know and accept that you will make mistakes. You are human and that’s kind of how that goes. Those who pretend that they are free from errors and mistakes are lying to themselves. You are not a liar. Learn from your mistakes, forgive yourself and move on. On the flip side…
3) Don’t Be So Lenient With Yourself. You can take it. You’re a grown woman (or man) doing grown woman (or man) work. (Thank you, Beyonce and Dr. Zakia Carter,PhD). And if you’re in business, you’re going to have to put in the work and sometimes you won’t feel like it. Holding yourself to the same standards you would someone who works for you is important. Tough love for yourself builds character, and you need to have solid character to run a successful business. Awhile ago one of my business coaches, Sherí Taber of The Peak Performance Group, Inc. and I discussed the most important aspect of running a business and it comes down to one word: “integrity.” Having integrity doesn’t involve cutting corners and does involve having tough conversations with yourself and acknowledging opportunities for improvement. Plus, being real (honest and truthful) with yourself will keep your feet on the ground while you’re reaching for the stars and beyond. Sometimes you have good ideas, and sometimes you may need to take a step back. Sometimes you’re right and sometimes, well, you need to get over yourself!
4) Don’t Compare Yourself To Others. Like life, you’re on your own entrepreneurial and business journey. You will learn from the mistakes of others, and that’s great because you don’t need (or want) to make all the mistakes yourself first-hand – but nothing can replace the experience you will acquire by going through your own challenges and focusing on your own journey. Be open and embrace having your own experiences. That may mean experimenting, taking risks and doing something different. What your competitors do has nothing to do with you. Concern yourself with your work, your goals and your customers. When it comes to being aware of your competitors, it’s only necessary to recognize how you’re different. When it comes to comparison…competition? What competition?
5) Pay It Forward. “If you help enough people get what they want, you will get what you want.” ~Zig Ziglar It’s amazing how true this is! And when you really embrace it, you’ll come to understand that it’s not wishful thinking or some magic wand that grants wishes, it’s what helps to create the necessary balance in the world. And from a simple business sense it might mean helping the customer get what s/he wants, but it could be your vendors, the person who delivers your mail, a neighbor, etc. Sometimes paying attention to what someone else needs is all you need to do to acquire what you desire in your business.
6) Be True To Yourself. No one knows you better than you and at the end of the day – if you’re alive and working – you’re equipped with everything you need to make your mark on the world. Love yourself enough to believe that. You know what to do!
And finally, when it comes from a media relationship perspective, all of the above are really important because at the end of the day – garnering media coverage for your business can take time. Sometimes more time than anyone likes. If you have the above relationship with yourself intact, it helps during the waiting game. Your worth (and business worth) is not dependent on media coverage. Your focus should be serving your clientele to the best of your ability and making progress with them. Listen to the feedback you receive, be honest with yourself when it comes to negative feedback, own it and adjust, as necessary. Continue to create your business story. Oh, and when (not if) the media calls, you’ll be more than ready!
What tips do you have for taking care of the intrapersonal relationship? Tell us in the comments below!
Trackbacks/Pingbacks