Do you tend to start off with great intentions and then just stop doing what you know will help your business develop. Staying on track is a very common challenge.
We are creatures of habit and making changes can feel like we’re taking one step forward and two steps back. A useful coaching tip is to keep some reminder of the end outcome in your mind. Some people even have pictures of their goal in sight, for instance, a screen saver that is a constant reminder of where they are heading. My screen saver is a picture of the launch of my new business and it is a constant reminder that I started with great hope and support, surrounded by friends, family, clients and colleagues.
It is also useful to remember that a small step in a new direction can lead to much greater benefits at some point in the future. I ask people to imagine that their future stretches in front of them like a path. When we make decisions to shift something or make a small change we notice that the further forward we go the bigger the divergence from the original pathway. For example I’ve known people who have never saved. One client opened a credit union account a few years ago and now has flexible access to money for developing their business. One pound at a time, one step at a time, eventually there is a resource to utilise.
It is also helpful to remember that we are not machines and there is a natural fluctuation associated with any change process. I often use the metaphor of the tide. It is not a linear movement, it ebbs and flows backwards and forwards however also in a definite direction. I find it helpful to view personal change in the same way. We set our goals, find support, knowledge and information to assist us and then allow the process to take place. A coaching relationship helps to both crystalise our priorities and highlight our personal resources which we can then draw on. The rest is up to us. Always the choice comes down to us taking full responsibility and making decisions that take us closer to our personal or business goals.