5 Steps To A Bulletproof Business Mindset Even If Things SUCK!
“The person who can freely acknowledge that life is full of difficulties can be free, because they are acknowledging the nature of life - that it can't be much else. .” ― Shunryu Suzuki. Zen Mind, Beginners Mind. Superchargers, I have a confession... October was my WORST month of business in 2023, yet I feel GREAT! Let me explain... I had booked speaking engagements (which took days to prepare for) that were projected to bring in at least $100,000.00 in new sales BOMBED! Zero Sales! NONE! Nada! Zip-Zero! Then refunds took $9000.00 out of my bank account with another $63,000 of future revenue CANCELLED! And it's not just me who's had challenges... I caught up with a friend of mine who's business is down 50% compared to last year and now he's considering getting a job to get by. Ouch! Last night, I went on a beach walk with another good friend who told me he closed his promising tech start-up after investing MILLIONS of his own money and 3 years of blood, sweat and tears! The project has drained him emotionally, spiritually and financially. Worst still, now he has to sell his home in Utah to get back on his feet. (Don't feel too bad for him. He doesn't need to sell his private plane just yet.) Point being, entrepreneurship is HARD! And if you're not psychologically ready for it, it can take a heavy toll on your mental health. Not only do you need balls of steel, a Zen mind, grit and fool-hardy optimism to deal with ups and downs, you also need a good sense of humor. So why do I feel so great? Because, after being an entrepreneur for over 17 years (and coaching entrepreneurs for 15 of those years) I've seen a lot. I've had businesses fail, been on the verge of bankruptcy (more than once), had over $500,000.00 of business debts and have even (almost) faced jail time for my efforts. (In my youth I started a black market pharmacy, followed by a male escort company. Not my finest years in business). There used to be a time when if my bank balance was lower than I would like, I would feel emotions of guilt, shame and suffer with self-worth issues.