Success requires focus, commitment, resilience, and the willingness to do whatever it takes to move your business forward. It is all too easy to be derailed by temporary obstacles, to spin your wheels in confusion and chaos, and to allow poor choices and bad habits to stall your climb to the top.
#1 Sickness
You know that cold you got right before that event you wanted to attend? It is indicative of internal confusion about your business. I’m a huge fan of Louise Hay’s book “Heal Your Body.” Look up any illness you are suffering from joint paint (indicates inflexibility) to colds and flu to cancer, there is a root emotional cause for each.
When we don’t deal with our emotional issues, they manifest in physical ailments as a way of getting our attention. Often when you are stepping beyond your comfort zone, making a quantum leap in your business, you’ll find yourself unexpectedly sabotaged by a cold, by eye issues (what is it you need to see?), by tummy trouble or worse. It’s just a sign that you are going through a big shift, keep going.
#2 Money Woes
Have you ever wanted to invest in a program but didn’t have the money? The reality is that you weren’t really committed to the program because I have witnessed some very creative ways to get resources when you need them most. I’ve had clients and colleagues borrow from family, cash in IRA’s, get an extra job, pawn valuables, borrow from retirement. These are their choices, when they are willing to do whatever it takes.
If a program doesn’t stretch you, it probably isn’t going to provide the necessary momentum and growth opportunities. Every investment you make in yourself and your business should be exciting and a little scary, all at once. It’s a sign that you are moving forward to unknown heights and depths.
#3 Being Late
When you run late you are disrespecting yourself and others. You are saying to yourself, “I’m not important enough to be organized and make myself and my big vision a true priority.” How you do one thing is how you do everything. Look at your life and your business and see how that applies.
The same applies if you forget things frequently and sometimes you’ll go through a short period of time where you seem to be losing things. On a recent trip, in just three days, I lost my Kindle, my cell phone, and a ring. I am super organized and always on time, it was a nudge that big change was coming. (Good news, I recovered two of the three items!)
#4 Allowing Digital Distractions
Do you find yourself at events or in conversation with someone checking your cell phone? Are you allowed your notifications to enslave you? Are you checking email multiple a days? You are in charge of when you answer text, email, and your phone. Just because someone texts, calls or emails doesn’t mean you have to reply immediately. Claim your power, take back control. Put yourself in the driver’s seat of your business!
Great trick for tackling distractions is to time block your day, literally using a timer. I recommend no more than 90 minute blocks and some prefer 60 minute. When you are at an event, create time at breaks or lunch to check in if essential (when you have designed your business effectively, you should be able to take 2-5 days off without issue. Yes, really!)
#5 Family and Team Distractions
Do you find yourself regularly interrupted by calls from family (kids most often) and/or employees? Establish healthy boundaries with both. Make it clear what constitutes an emergency for your family and when they should call. For your employees do the same and you may want to include a list of client reasons they’d call you. By not taking their calls you are actually empowering them to take responsibility for themselves and eliminate unhealthy codependency.
This is in no way a sign that you don’t care. In fact, it is a sign you care more because the value your business delivers is key to your employees success and the support of your family. By allowing distractions you impair the success and value your business can experience.
There are millions of distractions we each face in today’s warp speed world. The choice is yours to either take charge or allow the distractions, in their multiple forms, to derail your business, your big dreams, and your happiness.
SHARE YOUR BIGGEST DISTRACTION IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
