Stop putting yourself at the bottom of the list.
It’s a bold matter of fact statement. Sit with it for a while, repeat it again… You’ll find it’s got that WOW factor.
Last week I attended an event in the middle of Newcastle, hosted by We Are Sparkle with guest speaker Sharon MacArthur from Red Handbag. Walking into a room of like-minded people, all there for the same reason – to have more Business Confidence, was nice to see and I took away some very useful and thought provoking points from the talk…
Stop putting yourself at the bottom of the list.
We all do this, whether we care to admit it or not. Everyone else in the room questioned that statement for a little bit. Stop putting yourself at the bottom of the list? You mean, do something for ourselves and put ‘me’ at the top of the list for once? Surely we can’t do that… can we? How we regard ourselves within our businesses really is at the bottom of the priority list. What would happen if you became ill? What would happen to your business then? Sharon then encouraged us to do one thing a week, that only takes up 30 minutes of our time, that we could do for ourselves. What would you do with 30 minutes? I would take Lionel, my crazy cocker spaniel for a walk, or I’d get my nails done or read a book. So… stop putting yourself at the bottom of the list.
We also learnt to stop being a mind reader. We all see things differently so assuming you know what your client/spouse/friend is thinking could end badly. Stop worrying, just smile. I literally took this on board on my way home from the event. I was stuck behind a precarious driver and rather than get angry about it, I smiled. I instantly felt better and even had a little chuckle to myself. I felt silly for smiling, but it totally changed the dynamics of the whole situation.
Appreciate your uniqueness. This applies to you within your business, but also personally too. The way you dress, the way you do certain things, how everyone else perceives you. Appreciate YOUR uniqueness and celebrate your triumphs. This made me instantly think: I don’t do this. I might celebrate for all of 2 minutes if I have achieved something great, but that’s it. I don’t celebrate my triumphs in any way other than that and it made me really think that I should do this more. Do you celebrate your triumphs in business?
Stop making excuses and instead think, what if? Be brave and step out of your comfort zone. Have more confidence in yourself! Learn to say no… in any aspect of your life too, not just business. If it’s not right for you, it doesn’t fit in with what you’re aiming for in life, then say no. But most of all… stop putting yourself at the bottom of the list.
