How to keep going
How to keep going
Julia Chanteray of The Joy of Business helps us focus on what's going well. Because if there's one thing you need in business, it's the ability to keep going when it's tempting to give up.
Success in business seems to be characterised by a refusal to give up. People who do well have often had very difficult moments. Such people seem to be able to see as merely temporary setbacks what others perceive as failure, and see clearly when there is a need to change direction.
The rest of us, who don't feel supreme confidence at all times, can learn from this approach.
"Many of life's failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up." - Thomas Edison
How to stay the course
- Realise that success takes time. Most businesses will not see much of a profit for the first 6-12 months, so don't despair if you haven't made your fortune by the end of month three.
- See everything, especially the bad things, as an opportunity to learn. Think about what you will do differently next time and don't give yourself a hard time for making mistakes.
- When business is quiet, see this as an opportunity to promote the business or catch up with people you haven't seen for a while. Stay active all the time, and especially meet new people and network.
- Keep up a positive front. If people perceive you as successful, then success will follow.
- Know where it is safe to admit your vulnerabilities and where to turn for advice.
- Get yourself a coach, or a trusted friend who can help you to see the real picture and give you a chance to voice your doubts.
What to do when things seem especially difficult
- Write a list of all the good things in your life. No matter how bad things are, we can all think of at least five good things, and this simple exercise can dramatically change our perception of how things really are.
- Read biographies, case studies, business guides so that you can learn from others.
- Think ''What's the worst that can happen?'' Few of us are working in areas where the consequences of mistakes are catastrophic, so just get on with the next thing that you need to do.
