Do you ever feel like your life is out of your control? I’m not even talking about business here, I’m talking about life in general.
I know I have felt that way in the past!
It’s natural to feel overwhelmed and powerless when it seems like you’re a passenger on a runaway train that threatens to run off the tracks. The feeling can be the same whether it’s a financial difficulty, relationship problem, career unhappiness, medical problems, or similarly challenging circumstances. It can feel the same when running a business. I’ve talked to hundreds of home stagers over the years, and I’ve heard sentiments like these:
“This economy has made it impossible to find clients.”
“Potential clients don’t take me seriously because I don’t have enough credibility.”
“My competition is squeezing me out of the market.” “real estate agents just don’t get it”
Do you see the common thread? There’s a formula to these complaints, and many more which I haven’t listed, that goes like this: Because of X [a circumstance beyond my control], I can’t achieve the results I want.
It’s true—there ARE circumstances beyond your control which impact your business. You personally cannot turn the economy around. You can’t stop competitors from opening up shop and focusing on low prices; but you CAN control your reaction to these circumstances. Therefore, you DO control your destiny as a business owner, whether you realize it or not. Picture a sailboat out on the open ocean. Does the skipper control the direction in which the wind blows? Of course not! Yet, a skilled sailor can navigate his vessel across the sea and safely into the harbor of his choice. How? Not by controlling the wind… but by controlling the positioning of his sail.
Apply this analogy to your business. External factors like the economy, competition, or a depressed housing market are represented by the wind. There is nothing you can do to change them. They are blowing in the direction that they’re blowing, and that’s that. But you can control your sail- which represents your marketing strategy, your business plan, and your efforts.
The next time you feel like you’re losing control of your business, remember this analogy. You may be correct that the winds are changing, and maybe in a direction that makes things difficult for you. But your reaction should NOT be to simply throw up your arms and let your ship blow away with the wind. Instead, make the necessary adjustments in order to remain on course.
I recognize this is easier said than done—but the most important step is simply realizing that you do maintain control over the future of your business. Once you’ve embraced this mindset, the question is no longer “will the business succeed?”… the question becomes “how will the business succeed?” The difference between those two mindsets is critical. As always, please feel free to get in touch with me if you’d like more information on this subject! I can create a personal coaching strategy for you!
