How important is it to keep a positive perspective?  It’s a popular topic on the self-help and self development circuit as one of the keys to long term happiness (or at least contentment).  There have also been a lot of scientific studies – in this article on the benefits of positive thinking from the Mayo Clinic it’s pretty key, a positive outlook will help reduce stress, help you live longer and be healthier overall…all in all not a bad deal!

As a business owner, staying positive is even more important…especially considering the alternative.  You’ve got plenty of things to worry about – starting with finances, people, competition…overall it’s a long list.  Now picture the difference of approaching these issues with a positive perspective and outlook versus a negative outlook?  With a positive approach, anything is possible and problems can be solved.  With a negative approach, everything is an issue and soon it all feels very overwhelming – it would be much easier to throw in the towel if you’re approaching things negatively. 

It might sound a little touchy feely, but I can tell you that it impacts a lot of business owners that I talk to.  The idea is summarized nicely in one of my favorite songs from The Shins – Young Pilgrims:

“But I learned fast how to keep my head up ’cause I
Know there is this side of me that
Wants to grab the yoke from the pilot and just
Fly the whole mess into the sea.” – The Shins

I think we all fight our own demons from time to time, but there is a real upside to keeping your head up – when you can open up and look at the possibilities you’ll be surprised at the great ideas and solutions you can come up with.

So positive thinking can impact your results (as I’ve written before)…it’s a wonderful, important thing to do, but what if you’re just not wired that way?  It’s not like you can just flip a switch and start thinking positively.  How you think /  your approach to things is a habit and it will require some changes if you’re going to be able to make being positive stick. 

Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

Be aware of your thoughts

A good place to start would be to simply start raising your awareness of what your thoughts are…how often are you thinking and talking to yourself in a negative way?  This is especially important because it turns our your brain is physically wired to reinforce whatever you’re thinking on a regular basis – check out points #2 and #3 from this great list of 30 Amazing Facts About Your Brain from Tim Brownson.  You tend to get more of whatever you think, so if you’re being negative, it’s easier to be negative the next time around.

Question? When you talk to yourself (in your head) are you positive or negative?

Give some serious thought to who you spend time with

Jim Rohn has a famous quote:

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

If you’re hanging out with people who are inherently negative, you’re going to be negative as well.  Attitudes (along with success or failure) are contagious – it may be time to consider cleaning up your tribe (easier said than done, but it could have a huge impact on you).

Question?  Are the people you spend the most time with challenging you and helping you get better…or are they holding you back?

Start reframing when you notice potentially negative situations

Reframing is simply the conscious act of changing your perspective on something (an event, an outcome, a person, etc.).  Typically what ever we’re looking at or talking about isn’t inherently good or bad, it depends on how we frame our perception…and you can choose that frame.  Tim Brownson also has a good article on Reframing and how to use it.

Question?  Do you consciously look at a situation or an outcome and find a way to reframe it in a more positive light?  Could you?

There are a lot of other ways to impact your outlook – exercise can be a great way to lift your mood…a lot of people recommend some form of meditation…listen to positive music, read positive books or magazines, watch uplifting movies or shows.

How important is positive thinking to you?  When you’re trying to stay (or get) positive, what works best for you?  I’d love to hear your thoughts – share them in the comments below.

Shawn Kinkade  Kansas City Business Coach

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If you’re like a lot of business owners and entrepreneurs that I’ve talked to recently…you’re feeling pretty tired.  One guy described it as feeling stretched thin.  Worn out, dragging, physically and mentally drained…and all for good reasons!  Let’s face it, for most of us the last 2…maybe even 3 years have been challenging in many ways.

However it’s a new year and NOW is the absolute best time to start making great things happen for yourself.  (And if you’re worried…even a little bit…that 2012 is the end of the world, the super smart folks at NASA can reassure you there’s nothing to worry about!).  The way I look at it, you’ve always got two choices, you can stress and fret and let the world beat up on you, or you can choose to go out and build your own future.

Where to start?  Here are a few ideas that will help you kick off the New Year the right way.

Play to your strengths

As a business owner you have to wear a lot of hats, everything from IT support to accounting and customer service.  Early on you didn’t have a choice, you do pretty much everything, but as you grow and find some success you have to find other answers or you will collapse under the work. 

If your goal is to grow your business and get more enjoyment out of it, then you have to start playing to your strengths.  When you’re focusing on things you’re really good at, everything seems easy and time flies.  When you’re spending time on things you’re not particularly good it, it’s a struggle and no fun.

What are the 1 or 2 things about your business that you absolutely love?  The parts where you make a huge difference?  What would it take to have you start spending more time on those aspects of your business?

Conversely, what are the 1 or 2 things about your business that you dread doing or just don’t do very well?  What would it take to delegate or outsource that work?  Yes it might cost you some money, but that will be more than offset by the gains you’ll have from investing that time and effort into your strengths.

Focus – what’s most important right now?

One of the reasons you’re feeling tired is that you’re trying to do too much.  Too many things are at the top of your list as critical items.  You work hard, but because you’re spreading your time and attention across 10…maybe even 20 different activities, you’re not getting anything done.  Which would make anyone feel tired!  It’s time to start thinking about doing less!

Take a hard look at what you want to achieve this year.  Out of all the things you could spend your time on, what are the top 5 things you could do that would make the biggest difference to your business?  That list might include eliminating a constraint (i.e. hiring more help, streamlining processes).  That list might include generating more leads and opportunities (developing a marketing plan, more purposeful networking, emphasizing specific marketing tactics).

Whatever you think it is – write down your top 5 priorities for the year and and focus on getting those 5 things done. 

It can be really difficult to prioritize and narrow down your list, but I guarantee you will see a lot more progress and feel better about it if you can stick with a focused approach.

Give

When you’re trying to make things happen, it’s easy to fall into a taker’s mentality.  To focus on what you need from other people in order to win.  Here’s the thing…it’s completely counter-intuitive, but if you really want to succeed, your best bet (and shortest path) is to focus on how you can help others out first.

You build fans, friends, relationships and referral partners by helping people out.  You should always be giving value.  Find out what someone needs…and then help them get it! 

Try this – identify those people who could be great connections for you and figure out how you can help them.  Don’t ask for anything in return, honestly go in with a giving mentality.  (Read the Go-Giver if you want some inspiration on this idea).  Not only will you feel good about yourself, but you will be surprised at the unexpected doors that open because of your efforts.

Reflect and be grateful for today’s gift…

It can be really difficult to find perspective…the big picture that helps propel you in a positive way through good days and bad.  If you’re just treading water and not looking at the big picture…not consistently thinking about why you do what you do, then it’s going to be exhausting. 

Conversely, if you can get into a mindset of purpose and meaning, a lot of things start falling into place.  Obviously you have to find your own answers, but this short TED video from Louie Schwarzberg might give you some ideas.  Check out Nature. Beauty. Gratitude. for a lift.

There are plenty of days when things are going wrong that you’re not likely to feel grateful, but imagine if you could carry that feeling around all the time…pretty powerful stuff.

Challenge

Here’s my challenge to you – give the 4 ideas above a real shot in the next few weeks.  Spend time thinking about and implementing them into your life and business.  Then let me know if you can sense a difference in your progress and how you feel about it.

What other ideas would you recommend for getting off to a great start in a new year?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.  Seriously – let us know what you think.

Shawn Kinkade  Kansas City Business Coach

Photo by Stuck in Customs

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It’s hard to believe that next week is Thanksgiving – for me at least, 2011 has gone by in a blur (…time flies when you’re having fun?)!  Thanksgiving is always a great reminder to take a little time for yourself and think about what you’re grateful for.  Even better – use the time for reflection and start a new habit of appreciation that you can carry throughout the year.

I first thought about doing a straight list of things I’m thankful for, but Jason over at Blue Gurus beat me to the punch with his 10 Things We’re Thankful for this Year post, so I decided to take a slightly different approach.

Why be Thankful?

For starters it turns out that being authentically grateful for what you have confers a whole host of mental and physical health benefits!  Check out this great article from the Wall Street Journal – Thank You. No, Thank You.  There’s a lot of really strong information in there, including research that shows the following:

Adults who frequently feel grateful have more energy, more optimism, more social connections and more happiness than those who do not, according to studies conducted over the past decade. They’re also less likely to be depressed, envious, greedy or alcoholics. They earn more money, sleep more soundly, exercise more regularly and have greater resistance to viral infections.

All in all, that’s a pretty strong list of benefits – and it doesn’t even touch on the idea that people are naturally drawn to those with the confidence and humility to give credit to others.

Try This

Obviously there’s no deep secret on how to feel grateful – odds are you’ve had that experience.  The more challenging part is to give yourself the time and the mechanism for doing it on a regular basis (and not just over turkey). 

One approach that might work for you is to use a Gratitude Journal…every day or maybe every week sit down somewhere quiet and write down 3 to 5 things you’re grateful for.  Try to be specific and remember it doesn’t have to earth shattering, often it’s the little things in life that add a lot of meaning.

If you’re a little more high tech…and thankful for your iPhone or iPad, you might want to check out the Gratitude Journal App from HappyTapper (I love that name).

It sounds overly simplistic that just reflecting and journaling on the positives in your life can make a difference, but the reality is that you are what you think.  (On a related note – here’s a great article from Entrepreneur on You Are What You Think).

Me?  I’m thankful for a lot of things:  I’m thankful that my family is healthy and despite often crazy schedules we still have time to get together and have fun now and then.  I’m thankful for all the things my wife does to support me (and make the family thing actually work…).

I’m thankful for my great clients – not only are they all great people that I enjoy hanging out with, but they are attempting and doing a lot of interesting and important things and every day I  appreciate the opportunity to help them get to where they want to go.

Finally – I’m thankful for the times we live in.  Yes the economy is awful and politicians across the board continue to be selfish, short-sighted and often stupid.  But despite all of that, we are truly living in amazing times with technology and societal wonders happening all around us.  We don’t have flying cars or Hover Boards just yet, but we are seeing a lot of cool things every day.

What are you thankful for?  Take some time to write it down…or share your thoughts in the comments below – we’d love to hear from you.

Shawn Kinkade  Kansas City Business Coach

Photo by Kevin Dooley

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I was digging through some stuff the other day and I ran across this quote and it’s been running through my mind ever since:

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

I don’t know the context Mrs. Roosevelt was using when she said this, but I’d like to think she was talking to all of the entrepreneurs out there who want to make things happen.  The beauty of this quote is that it actually addresses two of the biggest risks that any business owner faces – fear and complacency.

Fear

If you want to be a successful business owner, you don’t have to be fearless, but it certainly helps.  Think about when you first started your business…if you’re like most entrepreneurs you had some fears facing you.

“What if no one buys my stuff?”  “How will I ever find someone to help me (that I can afford)?” “I don’t know what I’m doing…”

“I’m not a salesman.”  “I don’t know how to market myself.”   “What if I mess up somehow?”

Starting and successfully running a business isn’t something that most people have previous experience with, so it’s naturally scary.  But you’ve got to overcome those fears if you want to make it long term – and the best way to do that is to learn as much as you can, surround yourself with smart and positive people and face your fears – at least one of them every single day!

What scares you in your business?  Selling?  Speaking in public?  Meeting new people?  Hiring someone?  Firing someone?  Understanding money and cash flow?  Whatever it is, now is the time to start facing those fears!  (And if you need some help with that, give us a call!)

Complacency

The other big risk facing business owners is the opposite of Fear.  Once you’re past the first year or two and  you’ve figured out the basics, then you’re likely no longer afraid of the basics…and at some point you’re likely going to feel like you’ve got everything figured out.

That point where you think you know everything, or at least everything that’s important to your business, is when you’re on the downward slope.  50 years ago, maybe even 20 years ago it was possible to coast for a long time and still have a successful business.  That’s no longer true – in today’s economy and with the constant technology changes going on – complacency can sink your business faster than you can imagine.

You have got to keep learning.  You have got to keep trying new things.  You have got to get out of your comfort zone.

When’s the last time you stretched and did something at work that made you uncomfortable?  That made you scared?  Maybe it’s time to try something new?

How does this quote apply to you?  What’s something you’ve done recently that scared you (or used to scare you)?  I’d love to hear your thoughts – share them in the comments below.

Shawn Kinkade  Kansas City Business Coach

Photo by tranchis

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Imagine your business as an elite athlete…how would it compete against others in your field doing the same thing? I mean really compete head-to head; take the gloves off and the best person wins.

This past weekend the World Team Wrestling Trials were held in Oklahoma City. These are not characters of the WWE, Smackdown, or one of the other Pro Wrestling productions. These are the real modern day gladiators of one of the oldest sports in history. There are few sports that require the level of conditioning and commitment that is demanded of an elite wrestler.

This annual tournament is an event where men and women prepare a lifetime for the opportunity to represent the USA on a world stage. And ultimately, a chance to stand on a podium, as the USA Flag is raised to the sound of the Star-Spangled Banner. But in the end, only one person from a very limited number of weight classes earns the opportunity to move on to either the World Championships or the Olympics. Anything less than 1st Place challenges the emotional fortitude of the even the strongest willed individuals.

At this high level, physically most of the athletes are not that much different from one another. Yet some of the athletes clearly perform at a higher level than their opponents. What is the difference? What makes one athlete perform better than another on a given day? Certainly luck plays a part, but for many it’s the preparation leading up to the event.

What kind of preparation are we talking about? As an elite athlete you are already in great physical shape, so there has to be much more than just that.

“I’m a big believer in starting with high standards and raising them. We make progress only when we push ourselves to the highest level. If we don’t progress, we backslide into bad habits, laziness and poor attitude.”

“Raising your level of performance requires a proper mentality and meaning from within. This gives you the ability and drive to work on the things necessary to go to a higher level. When people ask me how to raise their level of performance, the first thing I ask is, How important is it to you?”

- Dan Gable ’72 Olympic Gold Medalist

In the sport of wrestling there is no other single individual in the modern era that is more decorated then Dan Gable. Obviously top of the line as an athlete with a gold medal, but also as a coach where he lead Iowa University to 15 NCAA Championships over 21 years and he retired with a team record of 355-21-5 (94.4%)!!!!  That is a staggering percentage!  Imagine if you sold your product or service to 94.4% of the people who were potential buyers?!

Dan has many famous quotes, but the above quote is one that challenges every individual, regardless of their profession, to evaluate where there are today and where they want to be tomorrow.

From a business perspective, think about how you (and your team) perform and what you’re doing to raise that level of performance? As an athlete it is more than saying “I am going to work out harder tomorrow”. In your business it is more than saying “I am going to try to sharpen my skill set in this area”.  Simply thinking about it and trying aren’t going to cut it.

Let’s face it, for most businesses competitors provide very similar products and services to what ever you offer. Success is not found by simply putting out a “widgets for sale” sign and hoping things go well.

If your goal is to raise your level of performance it will not be achieved by just doing the status quo, it will be achieved by setting high standards, holding yourself accountable to those high standards… and then continuing to raise your standards. If you’re serious about wanting to win, you have to ask…How important is it to YOU?

Share your thoughts or give an example of one thing you are going to do to raise your level of performance in your business in the comments below. If you don’t want to share, write one down and put it in the corner of your monitor or on your bathroom mirror and hold yourself accountable to it. 

Chris Steinlage   Kansas City Business Coach

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