Your mind is your secret weapon for business, and also the biggest reason we don’t achieve our goals. The good news is that you can harness your brain for business success, and just like any other muscle you can train it. If you follow my work you will have heard me talk about the need for mindset work before, and whilst it might sound like a good idea you may feel that you don’t have time or know where to get started.
Here are 5 easy ways to start training your brain for success that won’t take up lots of time.
Practice Gratitude
Being grateful for everything you DO have in your life and business puts you in a much stronger place to grow your business. It is easy to focus on what we don’t have, but that doesn’t fuel growth.
Practising gratitude has an array of benefits to an individual. Research suggests that grateful people are happier, more resilient and calmer, enjoying more satisfaction and better relationships.
The idea might sound a bit fluffy, but I have found that over time I can now be grateful for both positive and negative experiences, and it keeps me more grounded and in the moment.
You can start today by being grateful for having a smartphone or device that is enabling you to read this article. You have more than many people in the world already. Likewise waking up in a warm comfortable bed, in my own home and taking a second to appreciate that each morning is an amazing way to start the day. It is easy to start a new day thinking “I’m tired” or “I have so much to do”.
Being grateful for a seemingly negative experience might also sound strange, but I really focus on the idea that “rejection is protection”. Have you ever been disappointed when a client didn’t rebook? Or an inquiry didn’t turn into a booking? It might have been for the best!
Self talk
The most powerful words are the ones we say to ourselves, but so often these aren’t the most helpful words either.
Do you ever find yourself beating yourself up for not being further along in your business journey or for not getting everything on your to do list done?
I bet sometimes you are quite mean to yourself!
Self talk has been well investigated in the world of sport, and unsurprising research finds that positive self talk leads to positive outcomes and increased performance.
Why not listen to how you ‘speak’ to yourself over the next few days? Whether you literally speak out loud to yourself (I do, my husband thinks it is crazy!), or the words rolling around in your head ,are they kind, supportive and positive? Would you speak to a friend like this?
If not, try talking to yourself like a friend would to you. If you approached a friend with an issue or a problem they would listen and give you some practical suggestions for tackling the block – so start doing the same to yourself.
Positive influences
I am a big believer in using existing pockets of time, rather than trying to carve out an hour of new time. You can access so much positivity throughout your day with just a bit of thought and planning.
There are so many positive influences that you can easily slot into your day as you muck out, walk the dog, drive, cook dinner, workout and so forth. This could be audiobooks on business or marketing, inspiring podcasts or listening to videos. When you do lots of driving, how lovely to reach your destination knowing something new, rather than listening to news and a bunch of adverts.
If you are a music lover, create a playlist of songs that motivate and inspire you to listen to.
The power of pictures
Your mind sees in pictures, and an easy way to start training your brain for success is to see what you want to create. This could be a new client, or a longer term vision or dream like developing your own rehab centre or barn.
Focusing on the image of what you want to achieve helps switch on the RAS (Reticular Activation System) in your mind. This clever part of your subconscious then looks for ideas and opportunities that fit what you want, just like using a search engine online.
The more you mentally visit your goal then the more you confirm to your mind that this is happening. This gives you certainty, generates motivation and you will take more action.
Why not start by focusing on this image right before you fall asleep each night? This is a great time to tap into your subconscious and means that it can be processing this information as you sleep. Like any new skill it gets easier with practice, so preserve if you find it a little strange at first.
Get off your phone
Technology is amazing, and makes running a business much easier for sure. BUT your phone is not helping you develop a mindset for success.
Most people reach straight for their phone on waking (I used to), scrolling through social media and messages or emails before they are even fully awake. Whilst you might feel like you are getting a head start on the day you can’t control what you see. You might see a post that makes you feel rubbish or receive a less than positive email or message.
The first and last hour of the day matter for mindset work. At these times your brain is in a different brainwave state and it is easier to train your brain. Let these be times for positivity and growth, not comparisonitis and negativity which we can easily get from the news, media or social platforms.
Try leaving your phone downstairs, or deleting apps such as email or messenger at the end of the working day? It is your business, you just have to set and enforce the boundaries.
Combining business strategy with an unshakeable mindset for success is how you build a business that you love. Strategy without belief doesn’t really work, nor just thinking happy thoughts! You need both, which is the core focus of all my work.
You can start right now by implementing these ideas, and if you’d like a kickstart for you and your business then why not book a clarity call with me or my team about The Expert Academy, my group coaching program for equine and canine practitioners? Simply click here: https://hello.dubsado.com:443/public/appointment-scheduler/605a2322f9b860f8b58048fa/schedule
