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Business Coaching for Success

I recently read or heard something about “hope” being an essential part of people’s lives. They argued that without hope we would all be in a constant state of depression, because hope gives us something to look forward to and something to believe in. I suppose this has been particularly prevalent in the news over the last couple of weeks with the loss of the Malaysian airliner. The relatives left behind are surviving and keeping going because they still have a small amount of hope that by some miracle the plane has landed somewhere, and their loved ones may still be alive. Of course all rational thought says it simply cannot be so, but even those of us not directly involved hope that there will be a good outcome.

Bringing this back to something more tangible, there is often a huge amount of “hope” in all our businesses. I often meet business owners hoping that things will get better, and latching onto the smallest of life-lines in the vague hope that these will drag them out of the difficulties that face them. However, simply hoping things will change or just miraculously get better is optimism even beyond my levels. To envisage a better life and a better business without having some clear plan and actions in place is sheer folly. Of course it is a good thing to think positively and believe in a better future, but no-one gets something for nothing, so you must also be prepared to make the tough decisions, be they investments, changing staff, or radically overhauling your product/service portfolio, if you really want to make a difference.

But don’t just do one thing and hope it will do it for you, because if that doesn’t work, you are back to square one. So set clear targets, and plan a whole range of actions and changes you want to make, and you will soon see that your hopes for a better life will be rewarded.

Modern life is lived at a frantic pace, technology supposedly makes life simpler, but all it really does is remind us how much needs doing. And how often do we feel totally overwhelmed by everything? More often than is good for us I expect and sometimes it is so hard to see a way forward. Where do you start when everything is so important? Take a moment, sit down and look again. Is that “urgent” task, urgent for you or is it someone else’s “urgent”? Have a think about what really is vital and do that first. Then tackle the next one and bit by bit you will gradually start working your way through, then you’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel, and the finish will be in sight.

If you aren’t sure where to start, take a few minutes to write down what needs doing and rank it, Urgent, Important, Routine. Focus on the one job that you have identified as the most urgent and once finished then move on to the next. This way you won’t feel pressurised by all the other things waiting to be done.

The longest journey always starts with the first step. So focus on what you need to do first and before you know it that list will be all ticked off.

My job is even more of a pleasure at the moment than usual. With the help of the resurgence of confidence, and the general upward trend in business activity, all my customers are thriving, and it is so exciting to share their successes as they go from strength to strength.

I think I can safely say that all the businesses I am working with are all growing significantly. Some are having record months of sales, and others have achieved record years, despite the adverse conditions we have faced even during the last 12 months. The point is of course that they are all thinking positively, and even when things looked bad, they were all determined to find the very best way forward, face up to adversity and make good decisions based on the knowledge they have about their business, their competitors, and the environment around them.

The thing is, they like every other business have been working under the same stressful conditions, and they like every other business have suffered the same problems and setbacks that everyone else has. The difference is that their outlook on life and their attitude to these crises is always to get back on their feet as soon as possible, make it better, and find another way. They don’t look for excuses, they don’t bemoan the fact that they have “such bad luck,” they don’t wallow in their misery for days or weeks on end, they simply take it on the chin, and move on.

So how many times can you keep doing this, because as we all know many of us have been going 2 steps forward and 1 step back on a regular basis over the past 4-5 years. The answer is, until you come out the other side, because if you give up, you’ll never know if this was the last set back before your business starts to fly again – just like all my customers.

So if you need someone to keep you going or to get you back on your feet again, come and talk to me. I have plenty of positivity and optimism for everyone.

Spring is upon us, and with a bit of warmth in the sun and some blue sky up above us, it is amazing how people’s outlook on life changes so quickly. From doom and despondency everywhere, what with flood damage and the crisis in Ukraine, to the feeling of hope and positivity in no time at all.

Having just been to a Business to Business exhibition, quickly followed by a networking lunch, I could feel a general air of expectancy all around, with people all talking about recovery and growth. Of course things aren’t yet back to the giddy heights they were prior to the recession, but there is a definite sense that we are on our way, and it will only be a matter of time before the feel good factor will have spread throughout the country.

It is all about attitudes. If you think positively, positive things will happen. If you surround yourself with positive people, again you will find yourself being lifted. At the networking lunch, someone asked about the networking I do and whether it brought me business. The answer to this was that “Yes” it did bring me some buisness directly, but perhaps more importantly, indirectly. By that I meant that I only ever go to networking meetings where I feel energised by the people there. So although they may not physically bring me a referral, by being fun, full of energy and positive they help inspire me to go out and do more, and generate business from the actions that I take following these meetings.

So remember, there is a lot more to networking than a simple financial return on investment. Surround yourself with like-minded people all determined to grow and thrive, and you will reap many other benefits.

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