It is no surprise that it takes stamina and mental toughness
to be successful in small business. The truly challenging part is achieving
this level over an extended period of time. However, the way a person chooses
to think will really control the way they behave. Having the right mental focus
will lead to more successful business outcomes in the long term.
Here are some thoughts on how to train for this mental
toughness on your way to becoming a peak business performer.
1. Focus on solutions.
Within 60 seconds of when top-performing people are faced with adversity,
they replace the negative thinking with solution-focused thoughts. Research shows
that people who have "Relentless Solution Focus” (RSF) are proven to live
longer, be happier, and to be significantly more successful. If you fail, cheer
the darkness for a minute. Have a pity party if you want, but then focus on the
solution. Fortunately, everybody can be retrained to focus on the solutions not
the problems.
2. Seek to control
only what you can. (This is very difficult to do in practice.) The only
thing we can control is how we deal with the past and what we do in the future.
Learn what you can, but then take action to get another chance at a successful
outcome.
3. Find one thing you
can do differently to make the situation better. Top performers force
themselves to control what they can control, which is how they deal with
adversity. This is difficult, because humans are biologically built to have
problem-centric thought (PCT). In other words, we have a tendency to focus
first on the problems not the solutions.
4. Keep a success
log. Ask yourself what three things did you do well today? Take credit for
success, since it can be a barrier against future discouragement. Ask yourself what one thing you can improve
and how you can achieve it.
5. Practice the
100-second mental workout. Here is a
100-second workout that can make every businessperson a better performer. First,
take a 6-second breath to centre yourself, hold it for 2 seconds, and then
breathe out for 7 seconds. The purpose of this is to control the pressure and put
you in a position where the mind will work as an asset instead of a liability. Step
two is to repeat a personal mantra; something that really focuses you on who
you are, your strengths and what you’re capable of achieving. The third step in
the mental workout is a personal highlight reel. This is a visualisation of
where you want to be in five years and what you want to accomplish in the next
24 hours. Think about the actions you need to take today to get this done.
What steps have you taken to increase your mental toughness
in order to become a peak business performer?
