Change doesn’t happen without action. We all accept this, yet sometimes it’s hard to take the first steps to make business change a reality. I want to share with you my top 6 mindset traps which may be stunting your business growth, and why you should stop derailing your potential and be the change your business needs, right now.
Don’t wait until 2019 to get ready for 2019.
Success is 80% mindset and 20% strategy
Having spent two decades coaching and mentoring business owners, leaders and entrepreneurs, I’ve seen first-hand how the logical side of leading and growing a business – planning, numbers, actions – goes hand-in-hand with a winning mindset – resilience, positive thinking, leadership. One without the other just doesn’t work.
So, let’s look at mindset first and foremost.
6 mindset traps stunting your business growth today
Mindset trap #1 – I’m too busy
You set up your business to create more life, more freedom and more choices for yourself. But the reality is that you have less life, less freedom and fewer choices. Instead of room to breathe, you feel imprisoned and constrained in your own business, working for an insane, over-demanding and unrealistic boss – You!
Everyone can be busy, but being productive, now that’s something else.
Mindset trap #2 – My business is different
Great, I’m glad it is. Your differential is your product, or your service, or your proposition, or your customer experience. Regardless of industry, sector, business type or whether you’re in a B2B or B2C environment, fundamentally every business is the same.
The true difference is you.
Businesses don’t grow on their own. Leaders grow businesses.
Mindset trap #3 – My business is too established to change
Without customers, businesses don’t exist. Fact. The challenge is that most business owners, leaders and entrepreneurs over-engineer their business growth model, making it more complex than it needs to be. They dilute their focus, and that of their people, from doing what they do best.
Whether you drive change or simply react to it, change is something your business will have to face. Refocus your long term outlook so that you can stay cutting-edge.
Mindset trap #4 – I feel unmotivated
Motivation is a personal choice, which comes from within, so only you’ll know why you’re not feeling motivated. (Check out ‘How to get motivated: 5 drivers to what makes you tick’ to learn more). This may take some soul searching or it might be staring you in the face.
But when you find the reason, don’t look back. You’re not going that way. When you dig deep and push yourself into new, unchartered territory, that’s when true growth happens.
Mindset trap #5 – I don’t know where to start
Often, we don’t start something because we can’t get our minds around the whole thing, and fail to take the first step because we haven’t quite figured out what the tenth or twentieth step is. But usually you don’t need to know the tenth or twentieth step, you really only need to know the first step.
The first step to taking action, that’s where you start.
Mindset trap #6 – Whatever I do, it doesn’t work
The only two differences between the successful and the unsuccessful are desire and persistence. To ‘Fail’ is actually defined as the ‘First Attempt In Learning’. Change your viewpoint, and you change the game.
Now having disabled those 6 limiting beliefs, let’s deep dive into the 20% strategy and ask, ‘is your business failing or are you just failing to realise your business potential?’
Not sure of the answer. Well this is where the 20% strategy comes in.
6 steps to a business growth strategy…and the toolset to help you
You can either develop yourself and your business the hard way or the easy way . . . which pathway are you currently on?
The hard way is the pathway where you are learning through your mistakes, trial and error and constantly re-inventing the wheel. This road can be long, winding, and a painful experience!
Is there an easier way?
Yes. Of course. And it’s called The Business Growth Pathway™. I shared it last week as part of my ‘how to navigate the stages of business growth’ blog and the response from business owners and leaders has been phenomenal.
Wherever you are on your business journey, The Business Growth Pathway™ takes your business apart so you can discover ways to do things better. It isn’t about generic advice or trial and error. It delivers a personalised, proven formula for success. It’s a simple, easy way to help you determine which stage your business is at, how you may be thinking, feeling or acting at a particular stage and more importantly, what you should focus on and what you should avoid.
STEP ONE: ANALYSE YOUR CURRENT REALITY
Assess your business against 10 Growth Enablers…Business purpose, Aspirational Goals & Growth, Market potential, Product & Service Offering, Customer Experience, Marketing & Communications, Business Development & Sales, People, Operational Excellence, Finance & Governance and You & Leadership…
…and identify where your business is against four stages of business growth – Infancy, Adolescence, The Groove or Maturity (another blog post to check out!)
Ready to go…access your free trial here.
STEP 2: IDENTIFY YOUR PERFORMANCE GAPS
The interactive 360-question insights tool will get right to the heart of your business, pinpointing your performance gaps to identify where your business is today, and the route you need to take to get your business to where you want it to be.
STEP 3: FOCUS ON WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
Unlock your critical thinking and insights across your entire business and hone-in on those weak spots or areas keeping you awake at night.
STEP 4: ACT WITH ACTION
A personalised blueprint of proven practices and processes distilled into specific priority focus areas to take and pitfalls to avoid to successfully grow and scale your business.
Assess your business and have your 90 day action plan instantly. Now that’s acting with action!
STEP 5: EMPOWER YOURSELF
Know more, so you feel empowered to drive change, and not simply react to it.
STEP 6: ACCELERATE YOUR BUSINESS GROWTH
Deconstruct your business at any stage of the business growth journey, helping you identify an accelerated timeline for success.
Be the change your business needs with the mindset, skillset and toolset you need to win the fight.
Yes, it’s an investment of time (between 20 – 30 minutes to complete one growth enabler) so be productive not busy.
Your business isn’t different. You are the difference.
Investing time now to benefit your business going forward is always a smart move. Grab a coffee, find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed, complete your free trial today and become what your business is meant to be.
Don’t wait until 2019 to get ready for 2019.
