This is the time of year that many of us make resolutions for the New Year. The gyms are packed with people who are hell bent on starting the New Year off right. Business owners have made lofty business plans to double and even triple their income. And many of us vow that we will do better this year than we did last year.
So why is it that as the months unfold, we will see less people at the gym, the business plans that seemed so exciting at the beginning of the year have fallen short of goals and old self defeating habits have crept back in?
I believe that there are three key things that you should focus on in order for you to break that glass ceiling and exceed your own expectations in your business:
Re Think Your Business Plan
Often business owners write business plans in a very left brain linear way-wanting to go from point a to point b.
For example one of the typical goals is to double your income from the previous year.
But what does that take?
True transformation takes place when you pointedly question who you have to “become” in order to double your income.
I truly believe that to grow your business you have to grow yourself. You have to be willing to grow and stretch and think expansively. You literally have to grow into the person who runs a lucrative business.
Here is where you have to challenge your usual way of thinking and ask yourself compelling, transformative questions like:
Who do I have to become in order to double the income in my business?
If I thought like the CEO of my company, what decisions would I make differently?
What do I have to learn?
Where am I wasting my time?
How will I leverage my time better?
What systems do I need to put in place to be more effective in my business?
Who are my ideal clients and how can I attract more of them?
What should I be farming out to free up time so that I can focus on income producing activities?
Why do I want to double my income?
Be very specific on your why. This is where the juice is. It is what will emotionally charge you to achieve your financial goals.
Perhaps you want to pay for a big family vacation or fund your business growth or pay off debt. If the reason is compelling enough to you and emotionally charged, your chances of success are much greater.
Focus on your Mindset
If you truly want to change your life and business, you have to start with the foundation for everything-your mindset.
Mindset trumps everything. Every strategy, every action, every plan.
Mindset is the foundation for your success in life and business. If your mindset is off you will sabotage your success and keep playing small and you won’t really understand why because you will be doing everything that you think that you should be doing, but energetically you will sabotage yourself.
So you will be sort of putting your foot on the brake and the gas pedal at the same time.
In his book, The Big, Leap Gay Hendricks talks about upper limit beliefs that prevent us from obtaining our goals. He explains how we sabotage ourselves from our own success by unconsciously stopping at a set point-an upper limit, that only allows us so much money, success, love, etc.
These beliefs were often formed at a time when we were too young to determine their truth and often were formed to protect us in some way. Unfortunately, often they no longer serve our higher good and in fact, prevent us from reaching our goals.
We all have upper limit set points and limiting beliefs. All we have to do to know that we have them is to look at where we are right now in pursuit of our goals.
Limiting beliefs come in many different forms and can be tricky to uncover. Often it is difficult to be objective about this. We often don’t consciously see what sabotages us from success.
Working with a coach is a great way to determine what your limiting beliefs are so that you can handle them . Once you recognize them it is easier to “call them out” for what they are and keep moving towards your goals.
Schedule Time to Work on Your Business
A common mistake that many small business owners make is that they are so busy working in their business that they have lost sight of the ways they need to work on growing their business. They can’t see the forest for the trees.
It is so important to get out of “worker bee” mentality if you want to grow your business. Worker bees do all of the day to day activities that keep a business running. It is not their job to grow the business. It is their job to keep things running smoothly.
As the owner of your company it is your job to see the bigger picture and determine what strategies and systems need to be put into place in order to grow and expand.
It is so important for you to leverage your time so that it is not gobbled up by non income producing activities.
Ask yourself:
Where am I wasting my precious time on things that someone else could be doing quicker and more effectively?
What income producing activities should I be focusing on?
What days/times will I set aside to work on my business?
If you would like to kickstart your 2016, start by taking a good look at your business plan, mindset and schedule time to work on your business.
Cheers to an epic 2016,
P.S. If you want to further explore how to Kickstart Your Business Goals in 2016, I am offering an awesome program to help you start your year with a bang! Check it out here!
P.S.S. You will get a special discount if you sign up by January 14, 2016.
