This very question has come for me this week from a couple different sources.
A couple weeks ago I signed up for two different courses that looked interesting. I didn’t pay enough attention at sign up and realized later that they were the same week, same days, and a lot of the sessions overlapped.
Thank goodness for replays!
Each course had a particular focus and theme. And both have had significant impacts on how I think about myself as a business owner.
A common thread throughout this week has been around mindset.
- Who do you think you are as a strategic business owner?
- Do you think of yourself as an expert and someone who can help people solve their problems?
- When you think about marketing your business, what immediately comes to mind?
- When you think about selling your products and services, what does the thought of selling make you feel?
“If you think you can, you can.
~Henry Ford
If you think you can’t, you’re right.”
When you take the time to notice how you think, it can be a bit of a shock.
Have you ever noticed what a Negative Nelly we can be to ourselves?
I would challenge you to take note of how you get down on yourself about an action you took (or didn’t take..), or how you criticize yourself for making a simple mistake.
Would you EVER talk to a friend or loved one that way? I hope not, and I highly doubt it.
There is power in the words we use.
Power to hurt or heal, tear down or build up.
One of the course trainers reminded us that we can choose what to think. That we can train ourselves to capture those harsh words we say to ourselves and change them.
We can be our harshest critic and we can talk ourselves out of doing something brave and bold in our business faster than any outside influence.
- If you think you are not good at sales, you won’t be until you change how you think about selling.
- If you think marketing is hard, it will be until you take action, practice your marketing muscle, and look for ways to make marketing easy and fun.
- If you can’t see yourself as an expert and that you CAN help people and make a difference in their lives, you will always hide and play small. (This week of deep learning has changed how I think about the phrase “stop playing small”).
My brain is full. I learned a lot this week. Things that will change me as a business owner and how I approach being a leader in my business.
Do you need to change how you think about, and how you see yourself, as a leader in your business?
Ask yourself, “Who do I think I am?”. Note your response and the feelings that come up when you answer that question.
Recommended Resource:
Need help with how you think about yourself as a business owner, from a faith-based perspective?
Here’s a great resource, “The Faith Fueled Thought Model” from business coach, Judy Weber. This is a slightly different version of one of the sessions I attended this week and gave me a lot to think about. You can watch the video training here.
Marta Goertzen is an entrepreneur, writer, WordPress Website developer, and nature photographer. She daily explores the trails and beaches of the South Central Oregon Coast with her dogs Oliver & Mochi. You can follow along on their adventures on Instagram. Marta also fully believes that change starts with gratitude and that gratitude can change everything. Find out how with the “Grateful Friday 7-Days of Gratitude Starter Kit”