December 12 , 2006
Just imagine running your business with ease…and it may actually begin to happen, a certified life coach told RBA members at the November 30 meeting of the Small Business Council.
Robin Gardner, CEC, of Phoenix Life Coaching, said all too often we are the ones standing in our own way of achieving what we desire and all we need to do is make a simple shift in attitude and presto - magic happens.
"One of the great American mythologies is that you have to work really hard for success, so we make obstacles to say we earned it and share hardship stories with our friends," Gardner said.
In fact, that mentality can prevent us from enjoying the fruits of our labor. Success and happiness should be viewed as a natural and expected outgrowth of your focus and effort, Gardner said.
"When someone asks you how your business is going, imagine saying "it's great, I'm taking a vacation soon"... sometimes we try so hard we miss an opportunity that is right in front of us," she said.
This message resonated with several members of the audience.
"Why is a negative attitude more dominant in society," Diana Koch questioned.
"It’s a choice we have and people get used to operating from a certain level," Gardner said, noting that when we get to a new level of happiness it is unfamiliar territory so we let old issues drag us back to our usual level.
"You’ll get above it, then things will get you back down to your set point. It’s hard to defeat negativity," she said.
Gardner encouraged the audience to embrace and learn from situations of adversity. She asked that everyone remember a past situation of adversity and how he or she could have dealt with it differently.
RBA Vice President of Planning and Development Roger Scheiber shared an instance when he had been running a retail business for a long-time. The business had survived many cycles, but when a downward trend seemed to be unremitting. Scheiber said he felt so psychologically attached to his business that he could not see the writing on the wall, that it was time to move on. "I spent three years too long in the business," he said.
"The idea is learning from these challenges. They help you develop in a way that makes you who you are today," she added.
Scheiber’s story inspired Small Business Council Co-Chair Peter Wade to advise business owners against letting any business venture, "become you." People should always have an independent sense of self, apart from whatever enterprise they are involved in, he advised.
An audience member responded, "it becomes like this is who I am, a mortgage representative, and you can take it home with you."
"No you’re not. You are more than that," Gardner said. |
Gardner’s Big Seven Steps to Greater Success and Happiness
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Take responsibility now for the situations in your life and stop blaming others. "When you blame others you throw away your power."
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Commit to a new approach. No more allowing yourself to go into a mode of self-pity.
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Take on an action-oriented philosophy. Stop seeking to intellectually analyze everything. You can usually learn more by taking an action. "It happened, now what are you going to do about it?"
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Step back from situation and take a "mega-view." "You can’t see the forest through the tree." What kind of friendly advice would you offer a good friend? Talk to yourself with that kind of wisdom and compassion.
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Be mindful of how you react to successes and obstacles. Failures are highly charged and become easier to remember, creating an imbalance. Be sure to celebrate your successes. Make sure those exciting things are triggered in your brain and obstacles will begin to fade.
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Seek clarity. Muddled results mean you are not centered or focused. Seek to know what you want, "cause let’s face it, if you are focused, look out!"
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Watch your words. Think about what you say and how you phrase things. Avoid phrasing things negatively, for example saying something like "man, this is killing me." If you talk that way, those are the results you will get.
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December 18-21, 2006
RBA Honors Retiring Board Members, Welcomes May as Chairman at December Luncheon
Vision for the RBA in 2007 - Transcript of Hector May's address to the RBA
New Business Council survey:
New York State employers say health-insurance costs and costs of Workers' Comp, Energy, and Business Taxes are their top policy concerns
Big Month of Events on Tap for January
December 12, 2006
Rockland Business Association inks deal with Econnergy to add benefits for RBA members
Success is First and Foremost a State of Mind; RBA Members Enjoy a Presentation by 'Life Expert' Robin Gardner
Archived Newsletters
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