Are you running your business or is it running you?

This is a question you need to ask at all times.

Why is it important? It is because if your business is running you, you are admitting that you are almost out of control. I say almost out of control to give you the benefit of the doubt.

What do you do if you are in this situation?

• First of all realize that this happens at times, but it does not have to be a habit.
• Secondly create some goals that will bring some balance into your life.
• Thirdly hold yourself accountable to your objectives, and evaluate your progress as you move toward a more pleasurable life.
• Finally, celebrate your successes.

Isn’t celebrating your life what you’ve always wanted?

Have you bought into the pack mentality?

The pack mentality is when you agree with everyone about what is going on?

This is a tragic mentality especially in the world as we know it today. The pack mentality allows us to be swallowed up by the bad news we hear. The solution is a very simple one to write, but very hard to implement.

The solution is to take responsibility for your life and your thoughts. You need to understand that your future depends on you. If you are with people that are always bringing you down to their level, it is time to move on. If you are in a business that can’t quit talking about how bad things are, you have three choices. Firstly, try to change the atmosphere by asking questions that cause people to think about their negativity. Secondly, prove all of the negativity wrong by doing all you can to make your particular area of the business wonderful. Thirdly, and this is a drastic one, leave the business.

Are you equipped to now escape from the pack mentality?

Have you ever asked your client’s about their experience with you or your business?

This is what is called the ‘user experience’ test.

The user experience test can have great rewards for you or your company. No matter what you sell if you have a follow-up discussion with those that have bought from you, it will be a great experience. I write that because if you have built up enough rapport with your client’s and ask the right questions you can learn how to improve your products or services due to this discussion.

Are you willing to take the next step in the growth of your company? Are you willing to take the risk to find out if your clients really like what they bought from you?

When will you take action on it?

What do you do when a bad situation occurs in your business?

Do you just put out the fire and let it go?

I hope not! I say that because if you just let it go, you will have shown that you haven’t learned from the situation. It is the learning from the situation that will make all the difference in the on-going growth of your business. Recently I came across this quote from author Brandon Mull; “Smart people learn from their mistakes. But the real sharp ones learn from the mistakes of others.”

So how can you learn from experiences in life?

I believe there is a 4 step process to learn effectively. The steps are as follows;

• Decide on the experience you want to learn from
• Review what happened in the experience
• Itemize the conclusions you’ve learned
• Create a plan from what you’ve learned.

When can you put this learning model into action?

Do you live in the ‘only if’ world?

This world is a scary place, so pay attention.

The ‘only if’ world is where we don’t accept any responsibility for our actions. It is when you say ‘only if __ would have treated me better, things would have turned out right’. The ‘only if’ world is a world where you blame others, make excuses and deny you did anything wrong.

Do you go to the ‘only if’ world at times during your week? If you do, what purpose did it serve? I don’t believe it helped one bit. I say that because if you are not being responsible for your actions or the situation you are in, you have no one to blame but yourself.

When will you take action to avoid the ‘only if’ world?