Some Words of Encouragement

Someone asked me today if there’d been a full moon (it was full, huge and beautiful last night), because the atmosphere felt fraught with unpleasantness. I knew what she meant. I’ve been experiencing some push-back and hearing tales from others that it’s choppy waters out there. Whether it’s the turn of the calendar page, the back-biting among our nation’s candidates or holiday hangover, something’s in the air.

What’s a woman business owner to do?

What has gotten me through over the years is positive self-talk and mantras that affirm that this is normal and to be expected. Rosabeth Moss Kanter, from the Harvard Business School, says that her ‘personal law of management, if not life, is that everything looks like a disaster in the middle.’

I also love the saying that the higher up the mountain you go, the harder the wind blows.

And that mastery is less about your skill set than your recovery time.

I’ve had a few confrontations already this year and have faced them square on. I don’t always like the outcome, but the issues are dealt with and done, which beats dragging garbage bags full of resentments with me wherever I go. My side of the street is clean. Not everyone may like what I do, but I’m comfortable with the decisions I’ve made.

What has helped me most is a reliable source of support. I’ve created many safe havens for myself in my years as a business owner. Interestingly, and this must be why this is popping up right now, my next webinar module (after this week’s on Communicating Your Message) is entitled Establishing Support Systems for your business. I have individuals to call upon, my own coach, my own mastermind team, and weekly groups where I go and share my current issues and receive supportive feedback. I know that I’m not alone, and a burden shared is a burden halved.

My favorite mantra of all, which someone reminded me about just today, is “Don’t quit before the miracle.” You’re not alone.

Highlights from My Blog

Coincidence? You Decide
I had the honor of opening the 2012 season for the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s meeting this week with my talk on Creating Your Own Future. It’s a goal-setting session with lots of interactivity. After asking participants to dream big, I had them break down their dream into a manageable next step. Then I asked for volunteers to share what they’d written. Read more.

Calling It As I See It
I met with a group of women business owners recently, where one participant whom I know and adore, shared a challenge about how crazy-busy she is. She felt frantic and incapable of prioritizing. The proverbial fires were all burning equally in her arena. Taking time to deal with one over here could cause a huge conflagration over there. I could feel my stomach begin to get knotted up. Read more.

5% on Education
Since my 2011 business year ended nicely in the black, I worked hard in December to invest some of my earnings back into my company by enrolling in courses for the upcoming year. One of my business gurus, Brian Tracy, uses the figure 5% of income as the target number of dollars to spend on education. Read more.

Meet Jane

A nationally recognized speaker, certified coach, author, blogger and lifestyle entrepreneur with over 30 years of business experience, Jane loves sharing inspirational, yet practical, lessons with like-minded entrepreneurs.

Jane's Blog

Other Articles

Some Words of Encouragement