The TEN totally best ways to stay positive when you run a small business

Sometimes we can feel a bit wobbly about our businesses. Here are the ten totally BEST ways to stay positive if the wobbles happen to you!

Here you go! The TEN totally BEST ways to stay positive when you run a small business!

1 Look in your Smile File

Everyone needs a Smile File! It’s a place where you store everything NICE that people have said about you or your business. I keep mine in Evernote but you could keep yours in an email folder (if most of the nice words come on email) or a shoebox (if you want to print them out!)

If you don’t already have one, start it TODAY! Then when you need a positivity hit you can open it up and read all those lovely words! The Smile File ALWAYS works!

2 Get out your Good Things Jar

This is like a Smile File but it’s to help you remember good THINGS! So every time a GOOD thing happens in your business write it on a scrap of paper, fold it up and pop it in your GOOD THINGS jar. When you’re feeling a bit lacklustre open your GOOD THINGS jar and have a read!

3 Stop watching the Highlight reel

Oh gosh, there’s hardly anything that makes one feel quite as un-positive as seeing other people’s “easy success”. But you’ve got to remember that a lot of the “success” you see in the media and social media is well selected highlights (and much of it is barely true!) So if the highlight reels are disturbing you, switch them off (close Facebook!) and focus on making YOUR business fabulous.

4 Find your 4 minute mile

But there is a GOOD side to seeing other people’s success!  It’s called the Four Minute Mile phenomenon and it works!

Back in the 1940s the record for running the mile was 4.01 minutes. Men tried unsuccessfully for over 9 years to break it but with the record holding fast many people believed it was physiologically  impossible for a man to run a mile in less than 4 minutes.

Then in 1954 Roger Bannister broke the four minute mile and less than a year later lots of other runners had beaten it TOO!

What happened there?

Well, when Bannister beat the 4 minute mile other runners believed it was possible whereas previously they believed it was impossible.

Your success is a LOT to do with whether you believe success is possible

So when you see someone in your line of work being successful, take confidence from that and believe that you TOO can do the ‘impossible’.

5 Focus on what you can control.

I know it’s easier to say than do, but try to stop worrying! Instead direct all that worry energy instead into practical stuff you can do! (See the ‘focus here’ in the diagram)

6 Remember why you’re doing this!

The BEST motivator in the world is a sense of purpose so if you’re running your business for an important reason you’ll feel much more positive.

The ‘important reason’ doesn’t have to be grand. It’s just knowing that what you’re doing matters to someone. It can be quite simple  – such as the happiness you create when you make a bespoke present for a customer. 

When you know your purpose, and when you feel totally determined to achieve it, you trigger a system in your body called the Reticular Activating System. This system filters out irrelevant stuff and gets you to notice just the things that will help you achieve what you’re after! Clever huh?! And all this will help you to feel much more positive!

SO! Tip! Every day remind yourself why you’re running your business!

7 Do more of what you enjoy

When you run a business you can get a bit bogged down with stuff you don’t really enjoy (admin, website writing, marketing – whatever!). Outsource as much of that stuff as you can, so you get to do the work you like. Really! Working on the GOOD stuff will give you energy and the more energy you have, the  more positive you’ll feel! Ta-da!

8 Practise gratitude

You might already do this in a personal sense, but try it with a business angle too!

Every night write down at least ONE positive thing that’s happened in your business day. This will help balance out any negative thoughts and will end your day on a GOOD note! It really does make you feel much more positive!

I like to do this in my business journal. You might want to keep one TOO!

9 Repeat positive affirmations

Some people love Positive Affirmations, some people think it’s a bit woo woo but  – whatever – it’s worth giving it a good go! 

Science (science!) has proved that when we regularly repeat positive affirmations they stick into our subconscious, causing us to believe them and then act as if they are true. REALLY! So they are a great tool to help you feel more positive and confident.

Some useful daily affirmations to try might be “I am confident in my business”; “I believe in myself and my abilities”; “I am more than good enough and I get better every day”

There’s a good guide to positive affirmations here if you’re interested!

10 Go for a walk!

I go for a walk every day – not just for the exercise but because physical activity increases mood-enhancing neurotransmitters and endorphins, making me feel MUCH more positive. Any exercise works but I find it easier to get out of the door for a walk rather than a run! Plus I listen to Audiobooks and podcasts while I do it so it kinda feels useful too!

♡ YOU! ♡

Hope this has helped! Have you got any tips for staying positive? And if you’d like more ideas there’s a different slant here: “10 super-practical things to do if you’re feeling a bit hopeless about your business”

MORE!

If you enjoyed this you might like our weekly Snacks! It’s a lovely email newsy thing with bits and bobs to sweet stuff for your small business. It’s FREE and you can get it here!

Even MORE!

Sometimes we don’t feel very positive about our businesses because we are buried under a mountain of todo’s, and we are overwhelmed. YES?! If that sounds like you, take a look at “How to get it all done when you’re a business of ONE”. It’s a BIG collection of simple, practical, doable tips and techniques to help you get everything done (because there is SOOO much to do) when you run a solo business! See ya later, overwhelm!

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