Why is the picture of a quiet lake appropriate for a blog post on Attitude? Because in order to be effective, you mind needs to be clear.
If you are like me, you are a 50 something year-old white collar professional that has experience career ups and downs. And we are quite concerned about our future.
Global Financial Trouble Ahead
Our federal government debt is at $21.9 trillion, according to the National Debt Clock http://www.usdebtclock.org/ as of this writing on December 31, 2018 and likely over $22 trillion by the time you read this. This is 105% of the US GDP and is climbing. The only major economies that are in worse shape are Japan with a debt of 9.65 trillion USD, which is 253% of GDP; Italy with debt of 141% of GDP and Greece debt at 189% of GDP. It’s quite scary.
Even though you are in good health, you know your working days are numbered in the corporate world and only a recession away from being retired . . . permanently. And while you have the ability to work many more years, your corporate options are likely limited. And due to the career ups and downs, your savings are not where you would like them to be. While you are doing well at work and pay is good, you lay wake at nights fearful about what could happen tomorrow. It’s time to rid yourself of that gnawing anxiety by clearing your mind, getting a positive attitude and take action. Here’s what to do.
It’s a new year so make your future plans. I’m not talking about New Year’s resolutions, even though that is not a bad idea. What I’m talking about is setting your attitude right so that you can be successful in the new year.
Set some goals for yourself. If you haven’t set goals before, start off easy. Set some goals that stretch you a bit, but something that you want to achieve. Something that you will enjoy achieving. Too many times, we set goals that we wish/hope we will achieve, but aren’t committed and don’t make the effort. We set ourselves up for failure, because our heart isn’t in it. If you want to start a side-line business, don’t start with a business idea. Just work on coming up with a strong WHY you want to start a business. Set a goal that you will develop a WHY by March 31, 2019.
Companion Goal: If you have someone that is encouraging; that pushes you a bit to be a better you, congratulations, you have found a real gem. But often, we don’t have people like that in our lives. Set a goal for early in 2019 to find someone that would encourage you; someone you could bounce business ideas off of. Someone that will help you keep improving your attitude.
Get Used to Having a Good Attitude NOW
What does that mean?
Studies have shown that our 80% of success comes from emotional intelligence EQ and only 20% from IQ. We only have one chance to make a good first impression. While that is important in the business world, it is even more important when you are an entrepreneur. People want to do business with someone they like, someone they trust. Having a positive attitude goes a long way to pleasing customers. The longer you’re are positive, the more it becomes a way of life for you.
Change Your Expectations
“Our expectations have a tremendous impact on our attitudes”, says John Maxwell. Ben Franklin quipped, “‘Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall receive it’. The good news is that when you change your thinking, you change your beliefs, which change your expectations, and changing your expectations change your attitude.”
Expect things to turn out for the best.
Have a Passion for your Business
People know when you love your business; love what you are doing. One of my first interviews was with Lorena Prakash, owner of DUZU Dates. I could tell from the moment she first spoke that she loved dates and loved her business. When I interviewed her, it was during her busiest time of the year (December),;after she had put in a long day, and yet she was full of energy when we spoke.
Believe in Yourself
The common theme I have found in the entrepreneurs I’ve interviewed over the last 14 months is they have a belief in themselves. It didn’t matter what type of business challenges they had, nor the obstacles they faced, they believed they would succeed. From Lorena Prakash to Rick Lochner to Lou Constabile to Catherine Kaputa, to name a few, they all believe in themselves. And because they believed in themselves, others did too.
You Will Face Obstacles
It is a fact of life, you will face obstacles in your business.
The question is, will you have to fortitude, the attitude to overcome them? Rick Lochner was a successful executive, had been laid off multiple times and started his business at the worst possible time (2008). But that didn’t deter him from starting it. He believed in himself and this year he celebrated his tenth year in business.
It’s not a question of if you will face adversity, but when. The key is to persevere through the challenges, overcome them and come out stronger on the other side.
Embrace Failure
The obstacles you face may result in a failed business. Embrace it, learn from it, consider it tuition for being successful, but do not let it stop you. Take a step back when the failure occurs, look at it objectively, ask your inner circle what you could have been done differently. Don’t second guess yourself, don’t beat yourself, learn from the failure and move on. Don’t make failure lasting by not trying again. Each time you fail and learn from the failure in your business, the better entrepreneur you become. You will gain confidence and better able to succeed the next time. Look at the many success stories that I have shared in the blog, see how each person has overcome adversity. Use their inspiring stories to create the right attitude in you.
Leave a me a comment on my blog, I’d love to hear from you at Alan@babyboomercashnow.com.