How confident are you in your business? Do you struggle to increase your prices? Or maybe you have difficulty in relating to people what it is you do?
Being a coach/business owner is hard work – not only do you have to deal with the day-to-day running of the business, you also have to be visible to the world… be out there!
The thing is YOU are the business, YOU are the brand and if you’re not confident with that well you could be leaving yourself wide open to a whole load of criticism! (Believe me, I know!)
However, what you have to remember is that it’s perfectly normal to have doubts, to be a little less confident than you think you should be, to be afraid of trying something new with your business for fear of failing. The thing is, failing will actually make you stronger (sounds corny I know but it’s true!) Think of the lessons you’ve learned in the past from something that’s gone wrong… it can be something as small as baking a cake & it not rising as it should have (failure) – read the recipe properly next time (lesson learned). I tried making Yorkshire puddings once & they came out as flat as a pancake so we renamed them Yorkshire biscuits! I failed at them but I learned to make sure I use the correct type of flour next time!
In this post I’m highlighting 3 things that I believe we all do as business owners and what you can do to fix them.
1. Compare yourself against other people
This is something I used to struggle with BIG time! When I first started out as a VA back in 2010 there weren’t that many of us based in Ireland & it was a fairly new concept. However the idea took off and soon I was getting enquiries from others who wanted to set up their own VA business, so I gave them advice, pointed them in the direction of website links, forums etc that helped me when I set up. A year later and some of those VAs were branching out & doing WAY better than me. There were times when I used to spend hours (& I mean HOURS) reading through their social media posts, their blogs and comparing what I was doing with them. The little confidence that I had dropped to almost nothing. It was only when I spoke to one of my clients (who I also consider a friend) that I realised the downward spiral I was starting on!
So, what can you do if you’re comparing yourself to others?
You have to remember they are not you! What you see on social media & blogs isn’t necessarily the “real” deal – I’m not saying everyone’s lying but you have to think that they might have things going on in the background that you’re not aware of.
They could be at a different stage of their business to you. Just because someone started their business at the same time as you doesn’t mean they’ll be at the same stage or level as you. Everyone is different.
2. Overthink things
Another one I’m guilty of! How much time do you waste dwelling on things that have happened in the past? Things that you have absolutely no control over! Think about what that time could be better spent doing… focus more on the now; be present every day and try to give attention to things you can control.
This article has some really good tips to help you stop overthinking.
How many opportunities have passed you by because you thought about it too much… the what ifs… sometimes you’ve just got to go with it and trust that everything will be fine.
I came across a FAB quote the other day:
“If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat!
Just get on.”
SHERYL SANDBERG
3. Nagging voice
I’m sure you know exactly what I mean when I describe that little voice inside your head… the one that tells you you’re not good enough, or you’re not ready, or people won’t believe you, or you can’t do it, or you’re stupid, or you don’t know what you’re talking about/doing… will it ever shut up?!
I’m a big fan of Claire Mitchell & have done a few of her courses now. She calls the little nagging voice inside our heads “mind monkeys” and she has tons of advice when it comes to getting rid of them! The key point I take away from her is to argue with the voice.
If it tells you you’re not good enough, tell it you are & list the reasons why. If it tells you there’s no way clients will pay €XXX for your services, tell it yes they will because you’re worth it with the valuable service you give them.
You get the idea!
And lastly, make sure you surround yourself with a great support group – people who will lift you up higher and believe in you.
I will leave you with this image, which I posted on my Facebook page a while ago and got amazing engagement 🙂
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