4 Benefits of Embracing Change to Increase Business Success

09/15/20 • 7 min

The Business Accelerator: Accountability | Productivity

Today we are talking about 4 Benefits of Embracing Change to Increase Business Success. You don’t need anyone to tell you that the world is undergoing many changes right now, that’s pretty obvious. What may not be so obvious is your ability to adapt to the changes that are necessary for your business to survive and thrive in the changing market. How do you set yourself up for success when global changes are affecting the future of your business? You find out where the change is headed and adapt to meet the demand. Hypothetically, you could resist changes in the market and stand stubbornly in your comfort zone. The major drawback to that would be that you would probably be sinking in quicksand – and taking your business with you. Embracing change is important for everyone to embrace. The ability to adapt to change, and even welcome it, is absolutely essential to the success of your business and life. What happens when you fight change? That’s pretty simple; instead of embracing change and adapting to it, you spent hours of energy fighting it – only to have to surrender to it in the end. The fight didn’t make it any easier, nor did it prevent the change from occurring. So why waste all the time and emotional energy to fight something that is inevitable? Let’s take a look at 4 things that can happen when you embrace change. 1. You may uncover a problem you didn’t know existed It’s easy to become complacent when things seem to be going well, and put the blinders on when everything around you is stuck in a rut. When you deal with the same pattern, over and over again, you lose perspective of what is working and what isn’t working. Continually having a healthy perspective and a finger on the pulse of your business is very valuable and important. As an entrepreneur, it is essential that you are running your business with the greatest efficiency and profit. If you don’t know what your big money maker is or if you’re marketing plan doesn’t have a successful ROI, you’ve got a problem. Research what drives other successful businesses and accomplishes the goals you have in sight. Identify what works and then copy that model to your own business. Change and improve what isn’t working and you’ll be setting your business up for success. In addition, take a forward-thinking approach to your industry to anticipate changes that can affect you, and be willing to change or adjust quickly if needed. 2. The easy part is integration and adaptation Many people resist change for the simple fact they are fearful of pain or the outcome. The truth is that once you get past the resistance, integration and adaptation are easy. As humans, we are inherently creative and that allows us to adapt much more easily than we presume upon first perception. Remind yourself that you will have a much tougher go at change if you choose to fight it. Embracing it merely employs your inherent ability to adapt to a changing environment. Apply that creativity to your business, and you’ll find that it is much more flexible than you initially thought. As an entrepreneur, you have an enormous advantage over larger organizations in your industry, simple because it is more difficult for them to change or adapt quickly. While large organizations are struggling to adjust quickly to meet unexpected change, you can use their lag time to your advantage, and make changes quickly, to increase revenue and gain positive exposure. 3. Make room for more success Your success only expands as far as you expand. Change allows you to grow and expand your perceptions, beliefs and performance – and that’s what you want because your success will come in direct proportion. In order to make room for the new, you must do away with the old. Look at embracing change as your opportunity to embrace the success you have always desired. Of course, you could also look at it another way. For every piece of resistance that you put up against change, you are also resisting a piece of your success. Don’t let limiting beliefs hold you back or fear of the unknown. Think – what’s the worst that can happen? More times than not change will have a very positive outcome in your business. Now what do you think about embracing change? 4. You may get more of what you want and release what you don’t want Here’s a popular quote by WL Bateman that sums it all up, “If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got.” This could not have been more accurate when applied to your business and life. If you want different results, you are going to have to do things differently - even if they’re a little uncomfortable. If you don’t like what you’ve been getting, then change what you’re doing. Living this principle is one of the greatest opportunities to learn what happens when you embrace change by welcoming what you want and releasing what you don’t want. Change can sometimes be scary, but it really is the key to ultimate success both in life and in business. What ar...

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10 Tips to Help You Break Bad Habits

Samuel Johnson said: The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. Bad habits can be difficult to break. Bad habits are a repetitive form of behavior that becomes so enmeshed in your psyche, they quickly become instinctual and involuntary. Each year people spend thousands of hours and dollars attempting to break free of a pattern of bad behavior, but the majority fails. Why? Because there is no magical solution. Breaking a bad habit typically requires hard work and there are no shortcuts. To effectively change a bad habit, you need to firstly recognize that the habit exists, and then make a conscious decision to overcome it. Pain vs Gain The most critical exercise in beginning the process of breaking a bad habit is looking at what is the payoff and what is the cost? Let’s look at alcohol abuse: ask yourself “what do I gain by having 5 or 6 drinks every night when I get home from work?” Of course, the answer is easy. For you it might be, “A drink or two relaxes me”, “I have time to think about the day’s events”, or “I can forget about the stresses of the day”. Then you must honestly answer the question: “But what is it costing me?” The answer may be less time with your spouse and family, a monumental hangover in the morning, alcohol may make you cranky and moody, or in a worse-case scenario, you may become abusive and hostile. What is it doing to our organs and you physically that you won’t realize until years later? Once you’ve assessed the positive and negative impact the bad habit plays in your life, it’s time to begin an action plan to break the habit. Here is a Suggested Action Plan for You to Consider 1. Affirm Your Conviction If you don’t consider the price you pay for repeating the bad habit worthwhile, then it’s likely you won’t break the habit. Be honest with yourself and take into account not only how the habit impacts on your life, but also how it impacts those around you. Make a decisive choice to become a better human being by breaking the repetitive behavior. 2. Focus on the Benefits Make a list of all the positive changes that will occur once you have broken the bad habit. Include the improved health factors, the opportunity to improve your personal relationships, or the emotional benefits. Refer to this list every time you believe your resolve is under threat. 3. Take Action The time to start your new behavioral pattern is NOW. The right opportunity is NOT going to present itself in a few days or at the start of a new week. Once you have resolved to change the bad habit, put your action plan into top gear straight away. 4. No Excuses! Provide yourself with a safe haven in which to activate your plan for change. As an example, if you decide to give up smoking, get rid of any leftover cigarette packets, remove ashtrays, lighters, matches or anything else that reminds you of smoking. Bad habits are often triggered by stressful situations, so work on a plan of attack to counter your lowered resistance during times of stress. 5. Plot your Progress Take note of your daily/weekly/monthly progress in your diary or on a calendar in full view. Nothing is an inspirational as seeing how far you’ve come and what it would cost if you had to begin the process all over again. 6. Maintain Motivation After the initial novelty of making a life altering change begins, boredom can set in. Continually challenge yourself to stay on target, and focus on the good things you will achieve once you’ve broken the back of your bad habit. If necessary, practice a daily affirmation like “Every day in every way I am becoming a better person.” 7. Set Up a Support Structure Keeping your action plan to yourself is a great excuse if you fail. You figure: “Nobody knows about what you I’m aiming to achieve; therefore, nobody will know when I fail.” Tell your friends, colleagues and family about what you are proposing to do and enlist their support and encouragement. They can often foresee your trigger points or notice your behavior slipping into dangerous territory. Their feedback may not always be welcome, but their support will keep you accountable. 8. Falling Off the Wagon Failure only turns into reality when you stop trying. Don’t allow one small slip up to be reason enough for failure. Accept that your action plan had a slight “bump” and then get straight back on the wagon and continue the journey. 9. Acknowledge and Reward Yourself Daily or weekly achievements are an acknowledgment of your success. Take the time to stop, think and give yourself a pat on the back in acknowledgment of how far you’ve come. Reward yourself. Let’s say you’ve gone an entire month without eating one junk food meal; so it’s time to congratulate yourself by taking in a movie, playing a round of golf, getting a massage, or going to the park to play with the kids. Better still, go to the park and do a 20-minute brisk walk! 10. Maintain Your Focus Bad habits can take years to develop into subconscio...

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6 Tips for Gaining Even More Confidence and Increase Success

Becoming an entrepreneur can be one of the most unnerving ventures in your entire life. Just when you thought you knew it all, you find out you’re just a student trying to make the grade. So, what do you do when your confidence takes a hit? Follow these 6 tips we will be exploring for gaining even more confidence. 1. Start with what you know If you’re a new business owner, start with what you know. If you know your stuff, in and out, you’re bound to make a lasting impression with your clients and prospects. Create a specific outline to the benefits of your services or products, and then be sure to deliver what you’ve promised. Don’t worry about being the expert, just start with what you know because that’s where your greatest confidence lies. 2. Have an insatiable thirst for knowledge Your business will not survive unless you continually learn, nor will your confidence grow. When you don’t learn new things, you cannot offer expanded products or service, and that is a death sentence to your business. The market and demand are constantly changing and if you don’t change with it, you’ll be left behind. The more you know the more benefits you can deliver to your clients. Keep learning and you’ll keep gaining confidence. 3. Know your target audience Most entrepreneurs think they know what their clients need and want, but rarely do they truly understand how to market and deliver the right products and services to the right people. Invest in research so you have a full snapshot of your market. Without it, you can only hope for successful sales and business growth. Survey your clients and prospects to learn more about them. The more you know about them, the easier it will be to create products and services that deliver exactly what they’re looking for. Some resources for web surveys are surveymonkey.com, zoomerang.com, zohosurvey.com, surveygizmo.com, etc. Check out all the options and use the best one for your survey. 4. Try something new every day We all get used to routines, because we like to stay within our comfort zone. However, it’s staying within that comfort zone that keeps us from gaining confidence. Knowing what you know now will only get you so far – and I regret to point out, that is not very far. As an entrepreneur, you must constantly push yourself outside your comfort zone to learn and do more. This not only benefits you, but it also benefits your clients, which will only grow your business. “If comfort is your goal, success is NOT in your future.” --Bill Bachrach, CSP, CPAE 5. Have unwavering optimism There are only two outlooks you can have on life and in business. Either the world is your oyster or it’s out to get you. It is only the latter that will not support your success and confidence. If you are an entrepreneur and you think the world is out to get you, chances are it will deliver. Your perception is everything! Having an unwavering optimism will constantly be fed creative ideas to increase your success. Obstacles will melt, challenges will be seen as opportunity, and you will have peace of mind that you can conquer anything. 6. Success breeds confidence When you are facing a situation that takes you outside your comfort zone, keep taking steps forward. Even if you have to take baby steps, at least they are steps in the right direction. Trying something new isn’t always easy, but take action before the nerves have time to settle in. The longer you wait, the more your confidence wavers, and the likelihood you will talk yourself out of taking action increases. Remember, success breeds confidence, so if you have to take baby steps to make it to the finish line – that’s okay – just keep moving forward. Being an entrepreneur is not about being the expert, although you may one day reach that status. For the time being, focus on what you know and become the best at it that you can. Commit to learning more, so you can deliver more to your clients; and your business is bound to grow with you. Continue taking steps forward, even if you stumble the first time. Don’t worry, you’ll get better with time; every entrepreneur has to find his or her way, and believe me, there is not one entrepreneur out there that hasn’t stumbled along the way. The good news is that your clients don’t have to know when you stumble. Continue to accomplish little successes along the way and know that your confidence grows with each step forward. It may help you to keep a log of what works and doesn’t work, so you can go back and review it before taking future steps. If something didn’t work, tweak it with a set of creative eyes and try it again. Eventually the pieces will fall into place and you’ll become better at succeeding on the first attempt. Before you know it, you’ll be beaming confidence and that will come across in everything you do – especially your business. If you are getting value from any of Podcasts, please take a minute to leave me a short rating and review. I would really appreciate it, and I would love t...