The business and entrepreneurial journey, as with many others, seems to set into motion the opportunity for quite rapid and exponential growth.
This doesn’t always mean instant growth in our business, but it does mean ever increasing expansion within ourselves if we stay open to it. And, as a result our business can benefit from this.
Growth can be the result of a number of things, which challenge us physically, mentally and emotionally. For instance; starting a new exercise routine, working on a new project, beginning a new job, business or hobby.
This is normally wanted change. The growth we experience is generally intellectual learning, building of skills and inner resources like confidence.
Wanted change is challenging but it is something we make a conscious decision to do, so it’s much easier to manage. This is because we are prepared for it.
Where these shifts can become much more difficult to deal with is when the change is unwanted. Situations like the death of a loved one, a relationship ending, loss of a home or job, a sudden decrease in income often come with a lot of angst, sadness, anger and stress.
The thing is this; if we learn to deal with these transition periods well then the growth we experience can be quite exponential.
Over more than five decades of life I have experienced all of the above and even more. And over the last seven years I have learned what it means to be a business owner and entrepreneur from a growth perspective.
There have been too many roller coaster periods to count, but each time I learn even more what works. This doesn’t mean I have it all figured out. But during my life I have discovered, often with the help of dear mentors and teachers, some transformational tips to deal with unwanted change.
Accept that change is always exponential and ever evolving
Nothing ever stands still and the world around us is forever changing. This means we must change within ourselves to keep up.
One fabulous thing I learned very early in my life is if I don’t self-initiate change then it will happen for me.
This doesn’t mean it’s your fault and you experience negative situations because you haven’t taken action. It just means that if you have decided you want change but don’t initiate it, the universe will give you a helping hand.
Over the years I have learned that all change is good, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time. We must grow and evolve, because it is part of life.
I think Ray Croc the owner of the MacDonald’s empire said “We are either ripe and rotting or green and growing”.
This means we must accept change if we want to continue to grow. The more we resist the more the unwanted will persist.
Remind yourself that the challenge you are experiencing might well be part of a transition period for you. Also let yourself know that at some point this period will come to an end, just like all experiences do.
When you accept the change you are faced with, even if it’s something unwanted, you will start to feel more at ease and be able to see a way forward.
Wise insights to let go of control
The serenity prayer is well known as part of the AA Twelve Step Program. A very dear friend recited it to me a number of years ago during a challenge I was going through at the time;
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference
Often, if we experience an unforeseen challenge we do everything we can to try to control it. Because of this we launch into a whirl of panic and take massive action.
If we do this we can create more of a problem. We also get even more stressed while we try to control that which we can’t. This repeated behaviour can also lead to burn out.
The only thing we ever have complete control and influence over is ourselves; the way we think, feel and behave. As the serenity prayer say’s, it’s about having the wisdom to know the difference.
When faced with a challenge ask yourself this simple question;
“What do I truly have complete control and influence over here?”
And make a decision to let go and stop worrying about what you can’t control, focusing on what you can change instead. Then wisely choose your actions, which may mean in some cases doing absolutely nothing.
As you repeatedly do this, you will notice that the challenge becomes easier to deal with because you feel more empowered.
Transformational practices to exponentially change what you can
When you accept you will only ever have complete control over yourself then you are in the right mindset to initiate the solution.
This is a solution that can help you with any situation whether it is wanted or not. It will assist you if you can do something or even if you can’t. And it’s all about changing you and your emotional state.
Even if we are able to physically do something about a problem, if we approach it in the wrong frame of mind, it will affect our results negatively.
Worrying and panicking gets us nowhere and can in fact get in the way of what we try to accomplish.
If you want to have a positive influence on the situation it’s important to stay optimistic in your attitude and look after your emotional state. You can do this simply by amping up your self-care, which is the very thing many people decide to ditch when a challenge occurs.
Practices like Meditation, Tai Chi, Yoga, deep breathing, exercising outdoors will give you a more uplifted state.
Rituals like writing in a gratitude journal and visualising what you do want help shift your focus to the good things in life. Over time this creates a more optimistic attitude no matter what is going on around you.
If you do want to experience exponential growth, it is also essential to stay open to the learnings that come with any challenge. This is often not visible until after the problem has passed, and because of this many people forget to look for it.
Even something devastating like losing a dear loved one or your family home has the potential for exponential growth; even if it just made you stronger.
The intent isn’t to minimise, because these events can be traumatic. And believe me I totally get this. The aim here is to help you grow in some way.
Be willing to see the gift in any situation. Remember to look for the learning after the event has passed. Acknowledge the growth within yourself and the skills you may have gained. Notice what this will enable you to do in the future.
Final insights
Change can’t be stopped no matter how hard we try. We didn’t enter this world to be stagnant we arrived to grow in some way.
Whether change happens in an instant or it occurs in a planned fashion over time, know that it always brings growth. And when you are willing to see and embrace this you will set in motion exponential growth for you and in turn your life, business and career.
Your mindset is an essential key in exponential growth and achieving what you want for your life, business or career. Click here to see how coaching can assist.