The Successful State of Mind

How easy is it to feel overwhelmed while running a business? (The answer is too easy.) There’s always so much going on. But there’s a simple way to clear out all the clutter and focus on what really matters – your mindset.

Tony Robbins has a great coaching point that starts with state, story, and strategy. He says the strategy is only 1% of every growth process. The other 99% comes from our state of mind and the story we tell ourselves to help get us there.

Let’s break it down even further. 95% of everything we achieve comes from our state of mind. 4% is the story. Then that little 1% strategy drives everything else.

Maybe we’re getting a little bogged down in the maths. Let’s put it into terms we can all relate to – business terms.

Let’s say you want to boost revenue by 20%. I can give you all the strategies in the world to do that, but without the right mindset and commitment to the story, those strategies will be completely useless to you.

Take a moment to pause right now and think about one thing you want to achieve this year. Whether it’s a boost in revenue, signing on to that dream client, or just spending more quality time with your family, consider how you’re thinking about that goal. What’s your state of mind?

Are you hesitant? Making excuses? Trying to justify all the reasons you could potentially fall short? Or are you excited? Motivated by the prospect of getting there? How’s your confidence?

On the same token, what story surrounds that goal? If you’re feeling hesitant and uneasy about signing on your dream client, the story you’re telling yourself might sound a bit like this: “There are so many other businesses out there that do what I do, they probably won’t choose mine.” or “But they worked with so-and-so in the past, I’m nothing like them.” Whatever the story sounds like, think about whether it’s helping you, or hindering you.

With the right mindset, your story might sound more like this, “That meeting next week is going to go so well, I’m so ready to smash it!”

Now back to my first point about always having a million things on the go. Open a new document on your computer or grab a pen and paper. Write down a list of three things you want to achieve this year. Beside each point, write one word that sums up how you’re feeling about it. Be honest with yourself, this is just for you.

It’s perfectly alright if your current state of mind is negative. That’s the whole point, that’s what we’re working on. But remember, it’s pretty hard to write a positive story with a negative mindset, so get ready to turn that frown upside down.

A lot of us might find “frustrated” or “anxious” on that mindset list. That’s okay. Often this sense of worry or panic stems from a feeling of lack of control. If this sounds like you, make a new list of three things that are going well for you. Maybe it’s a single client account, maybe it’s a new marketing tool. Whatever it is, big or small, the aim is to balance that negativity out with positivity.

Now that you’ve got a positive mindset, it’s time to come back to the strategy. With the right frame of mind, we can be proactive and approach problems or roadblocks with confidence and positivity.

CEO Christine Hollgate says, “How people deal with adversity is their biggest asset. How you let adversity define you is what you’ll become.”

In other words, take control of your own state of mind, especially through the challenging times, and rewrite your story in a positive light to improve how you execute every strategy.