Your Business Growth Will Never Exceed Your Personal Growth
Human beings have interesting motivations. We tend to seek change for two reasons:
We have become inspired by someone or something
We are forced to change out of desperation or dissatisfaction
Whatever the reason, we must be honest with ourselves and own the entire process of change and growth. Things may happen “to” us, but it is what we do with the knowledge and tools that we have that determines whether we succeed or fail. Even when you can’t control all of the external factors that affect you and your business, it is important that you learn to take responsibility for your reactions so that there is a shift of power---right back into your hands.
American entrepreneur Earl Shoaff states, “If you want to be wealthy and happy, learn to work harder on yourself than you do at your job.” Self-improvement is one of the most powerful tools you can place in your business arsenal to establish and ensure continued success, as long as you commit to a process that does not end. This quickly becomes a passion as people realize that their level of success in the business world is directly connected to the level of personal growth that they commit to.
How committed are you to your own personal growth? Are you willing to employ solid strategies of personal growth in order to ensure that your business will succeed? You must grow in knowledge and comprehension in order for your business to also grow to reflect your growth and change. What then, can you be focusing on to improve yourself personally and professionally? Read on to see what you can begin working on now that will be reflected as your business empire grows alongside you. Get ready for an exciting and personally fulfilling ride as you climb your own personal ladder to success. Commit yourself to growth, and watch the magic happen:
Take care of your health.
Practicing self-care and habits that promote good health is essential for self-development. Eating well, exercising, getting plenty of sleep, and practicing techniques to reduce stress and quiet the mind will allow you to place more energy toward building your business. Working on developing quality relationships in your life will improve your mental and emotional health as well, and will give you a strong sense of support from the people in your life that you can draw upon when needed.
Set goals…..and then work toward reaching them!
You seldom get into your car and think, “I wonder where I’m going to end up?” Failure to plan is most surely a plan to fail. Similarly, running a business without a plan and some goals is almost surely going to result in chaos. Goals hold us accountable for our work, and they challenge us to accomplish things that we might not have previously thought possible. Setting goals gives you a chance to exceed expectations. Each goal that we complete, each step that we take in the direction of our dreams gives us increased confidence and increases our motivation to set and achieve even more.
Manage your time well, or hire someone to help you do it.
Planning is key. Begin each day with a mental or physical itinerary of the things that you would like to get done, and then blast through that list with determination and purpose. While there may be curveballs that you didn’t expect or problems that come up, staying focused and finding solutions will increase the efficacy of your workflow and make you more productive than you thought possible.
Continue seeking education.
Continuing education is fundamental to personal development. More knowledge will give you additional tools for business success and the skills to thrive in a competitive environment. Developing yourself and knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses will allow you to play upon those strengths and seek others around you who can fill in the gaps. Develop a passion for lifelong learning, and a thirst for knowledge that will benefit you both professionally and personally. Read, write, and journal daily---this is an excellent way to exercise your brain. The brain is a muscle, and it must be used in order to remain strong and healthy. Keep that noggin active!
Practice empathy.
Building a loyal customer base is about learning to connect with people and committing to add value to their lives. Practicing empathy is not something that comes naturally to everyone; you must dig deep and find your motivations for building connections to people, then learn to authentically communicate that piece of yourself that others will gravitate toward. Reach out, seek to understand others and their motivations, and you’ll be likely to find ways to satisfy their needs time and time again.
Personal development is critical to the growth and success of your business. Your empire can only grow and thrive to the extent that you learn to do so. Commit to the process of growth and understanding, and watch miracles show up in your personal and professional worlds. You’ll no doubt achieve whole life success!