In the early days of your start-up, you’ll become more akin to a chicken running around with its head cut off, rushing around and feeling emotionally and physically drained from lack of sleep or adequate rest. We often wind up feeling as though we’re failing before we’ve even begun and that in turn creates a negative mindset which affects our everyday ability to succeed. It’s important in this tumultuous time that you find ways to keep your cool and and press on.
1. Wake up to gratitude
When you wake up in the morning, choose one thing, one positive thing to focus on for that day, whether it’s a specific project, an attribute of your savvy self, or just the fact that you have this opportunity to pursue your dream. When you infuse your day with positivity, it has a carry on effect over the rest of the day and the people you come into contact with.
In the start for me, it was the opportunity, the light that poured into the room each morning, a hot cup of my special coffee, my ambition and my drive to achieve.
What’s yours?
2. Don’t compare
Just as you shouldn’t compare your figure to the girls on Instagram, so to should you dissuade yourself from comparing your success with anyone else’s. Many people struggle dramatically behind the safety of their mobile screens, the trick is that they don’t allow you to see it. You may be struggling now, but we bet even your social media stream only shows the positive. It’s a tale as old as time – people don’t take photos of the bad times.
3. Separate your home from your office
Even if you work from home, establish a uniform and separate your office from your home life. Loungewear is fine as long as it’s not what you slept in. Brush your hair, take care of your skin, make yourself look and feel like you’re in work mode before going to work in your dedicated office space. You need to be able to separate your work and home lives, most especially when you work from home and it’s too easy to take a two hour movie break on the couch or conversely just send a couple of emails during the night (which never takes less than 2 hours! – we know you know!)
4. Set personal goals
Set your crazy ambitious goals but also set more immediate goals that you can cross off regularly, this helps you to stay on track and makes you better able to achieve the bigger goals when you’re have the little wins.
They can be personal or business goals but make them big enough that you need to push to achieve them but small enough that they’re not hugely intensive.
5. Get help
Find a mentor. Hire a Virtual Assistant. Talk to your friends, family, industry insiders – anything to help you move forward. If you’re perpetually trying to do everything yourself, you’ll never be able to grow your business past this awkward teething stage.
JAGGAR International
JAGGAR International is the ultimate resource for the discerning, ambitious woman. It seeks to inspire and motivate young women into their careers, to help them build self confidence and go confidently in the direction of their dreams. It seeks to mentor young women and seasoned female executives in the pursuit of success and entrepreneurship.