~by Natalia Levey~
How to stay focused? It’s a problem for many small business owners, especially when first starting out.
One day this summer, I was walking my dog on Block Island when I stepped on a tiny apple. I immediately jumped off, looked at it and found myself apologizing. At that moment I noticed how many other apples were hiding in the grass on the ground. Why did I feel bad about stepping on some apple? Maybe because I could relate to it. In a way, of course.
So many of us start a business and can’t help comparing ourselves to the industry leaders, to those who have a big voice. The platform. The following. The big apples. The disruptive thoughts make their way into our heads: “Why would they listen to me?”, “How am I going to string words together for the next newsletter?”. Fear and Love have been identified as top emotions that lead us in making most significant decisions. At times the fear of moving forward is absolutely paralyzing, yet love is what keeps us going every day.
One of the biggest fears of a new business owner is, “Am I going to make it?” But what if we were to think about this from a different perspective: Now you know EXACTLY what you are dealing with!
Here are some tips that guarantee to help you stay focused on the path to success:
- Validate your feelings. First draw a line in the center of a piece of paper. On the left side, write out all of your fears. On the right – all of your desires. Then tear the page in half and throw your fears away. You don’t have room for them. One of my favorite expressions is: “If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough.”
- Nurture your voice. Recognize that your voice is sooo desperate to break through. All it needs is some loving and nourishing. Learn to speak up. Words carry immense power; use them wisely. Do learn to speak up for what is important. Develop the ability to deliver a powerful message. Join Toastmasters; give talks to your coffee cup.
- Wear imaginary “blinkers.” Have you ever watched a horse race? The horses are focused only on the track. That’s it. There’s no room for distractions. There’s no room for temporary opportunities that would veer you off track, at least not in the beginning. In the words of Steve Jobs “Focus is about saying NO.”
It might be helpful to remember that everyone started out with similar fears; as tiny apples. Everyone started with a single Facebook ‘Like’, or Instagram and Twitter follower. Every successful business owner is a person with a past and present, with family, pets, real emotions. They lounge on the couch wearing sweatpants and get bitten by mosquitoes on a hike. Find one person you admire in business, and think of them as a mentor. One day you might be fortunate enough to help out someone in the very beginning. Who’s your person? Comment below.
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This article is from a piece written by Natalia Levey in her Healthy Intent digital magazine. Permission was granted for publishing on Leadershipgirl.com.
To read more articles like this, sign up for Natalia’s Healthy Intent digital magazine.
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Meet the Author: Natalia Levey
Natalia Levey is a professional chef and certified health & nutrition coach. She is dedicated to educating and guiding professional women to make behavioral changes resulting in improved nutrition and better energy, thus leaving them feeling confident and successful in every area of life. Natalia is the founder of www.healthy-intent.com, a website that helps people to make intentionally healthy choices. She is also an editor of an online magazine – Healthy Intent {seasonal healthy inspirations}.
Natalia received her culinary training at the Art Institute of New York city and is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN).
Natalia lives in Florida, and loves getting creative in the kitchen for her family and friends. She’s an avid gym goer, world traveler and organizer.
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