The Growth Coach, a North American business coaching franchise system, continues to do quite well even in this challenging economy. In fact, the slowing economy has been a huge wake-up call for small business owners to seek out business coaching assistance to help them navigate through rough waters. As a result, our business coaches are in greater demand than ever and doing more good than ever.
However, if you listen to the nightly news and our politicians, the economic sky is falling for everyone and everywhere. They continue to broadcast nothing but gloom and doom. Such sensationalism is breeding an unnecessary level of fear and worry in the minds of small business owners. As a business coach, I want to provide some perspective, hope, and peace of mind through this particular business coaching blog.
As such, I decided to search through my home-office library to find a Dale Carnegie classic I have not read in over 20 years, "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living". I gave it a quick read and was very pleased to discover how relevant that advice still is for today's business owner and our economic environment... even though it was written in the 50's.
In order to provide some practical business coaching, I summarized five Carnegie strategies below to help you gain some perspective, calm, and freedom from unnecessary worry so you can continue to take proper actions and be productive.
1. Live One Day at a Time. As Dale Carnegie wrote, "The load of tomorrow, added to that of yesterday, carried today, makes even the strongest falter." His suggestion is to seize each day and live in day-tight compartments. Shut the doors on your past and the future and focus one day at a time. This will lighten your mental load considerably.
2. Accept the Worst and Move On. For certain worries beyond your control, the book suggests that you ask yourself, "what is the worst that can possibly happen?". Since it probably won't be a matter of life or death, mentally prepare yourself to accept the worst outcome. That's right, what does not kill you will make you stronger or smarter. Instead of the constant waves of worry, tackle the worry head on, right now, once and for all. By confronting your worry, you take the terror right out of the nightmare. When you can face and accept the worst-case scenario, you achieve a true peace of mind that is essential to help solve your issue. You can then calmly proceed to improve upon the worst by taking productive action. Mentally, you now have nothing more to lose and everything to gain.
3. Stop Worrying about Vague Matters. Stop generalizing and over-dramatizing. Take time to define your worry. Write it down and be precise. Then write down what you can do about it (solutions), decide on the best course of action, and then take ACTION. Get specific about and get moving on your worry.
4. Focus On the Real Cause, NOT the Symptoms. Many entrepreneurs worry about and then go about solving the wrong issue. For any business or personal challenge, honestly assess and then define the real problem on paper in detail. Write down the actual cause of the problem, not just the symptoms. For example, many small businesses don't have a sales problem, what they have is a marketing problem...their marketing or lack of marketing does not generate a sufficient amount of quality leads. Without sufficient leads (problem), you will have insufficient sales (symptom), no matter how good your salespeople. Tackle the real issue or you will drive yourself and others nuts.
5. Play the odds. Ninety percent of your worries never materialize. The vast majority of things we worry about never come about. That is such wasted time, energy, and good health. Therefore, always consider the odds regarding your particular worry. Ask yourself, "what are the chances, according to the law of averages, that this event I am worrying about will ever come about?" Odds are, it won't! Or, worse case, it will not be nearly as bad as you imagined it.
Hope these stop-worry strategies will help. Bottom line, define your worries/problems on paper, examine them, challenge them, come up with appropriate solutions, and then take action. Stop worrying and start living!
Daniel M. Murphy
The Growth Coach
President, Founder and Business Coach
Business Coaching Franchise System