One of the biggest struggles I sometimes see among business owners is how hard they are on themselves. One technological glitch in a system or mistake in a sales call can cause them to berate themselves for days.
Since confidence is a key factor to success, it’s important that business owners learn how to cut themselves some slack. I get that this is sometimes difficult for us Type-A people, but the fact of the matter is we don’t really have a choice if we plan to be successful and, more importantly, happy.
Be fair to yourself.
In a recent post, I mentioned how I was experiencing a business slump for a few weeks. In that same post, I pointed out how I had to be fair to myself. The truth was I was dealing with a lot, including a natural disaster, so of course I was feeling off!
I did this on purpose. My purpose was to show business owners what it looks like to be fair to yourself. Often times we think we should be doing better no matter what. Nevermind the fact that the situation may have been completely out of our control.
Take everything as a learning experience.
If we use every mishap as an excuse to make ourselves feel bad, we’ll never be successful. Business owners can also stop being hard on themselves by taking everything as a learning experience.
For instance, let’s say there’s a tech problem that’s really driving you nuts. Instead, of immediately thinking of yourself as stupid, ask yourself “Okay, what’s the lesson for me to learn here?”
As an alternative, you can also view it as a challenge. I personally love challenges, so if I’m having a difficult time figuring something out I will fight with it until I do. Essentially, I tell myself I will not allow myself to be defeated. Try it. It works.
This goes for technical glitches, not understanding some material, a failed launch, taking criticism and just about every other “negative” thing you can think of.
Stop trying to achieve perfection.
From my personal observations, part of the reason why business owners are so hard on themselves is because they are trying to be perfect.
They want the perfect copy. Or, they want the perfect logo. Maybe it’s the perfect email or the perfect photo. Whatever it is, trying to be perfect is keeping you broke.
First, because no one is perfect so why torture yourself? No one has all the answers either. We’re all figuring stuff out as we go.
Second, while you’re busy trying to be perfect, someone else who isn’t worried about it is beating you to the punchline. That’s why the most successful business owners aren’t necessarily those who have the perfect skill set, it’s those who put themselves out there the most.
Final Thoughts
If some business owners stopped being so hard on themselves, they’d likely see more success. It takes self-awareness to realize when we’re doing this, so from this point forward pay attention to how you are treating yourself.
