– Ward C. Schendel, Business Coach, KnowledgeSphere Group of AdviCoach
Do you feel like you are just an insignificant business owner who can’t make a difference in the world, in the country, in your community? Well, you are not insignificant, but you may be letting head noise get in your way.
Do you remember the reasons why you went into business? Do you remember the dreams you had of helping others by providing a product or service that would make a difference in the lives of your customers/clients/guests? Is that dream hidden? What do you need to do to remove the cobwebs covering your dream and bring it back to the forefront?
Take the words of John Wooden, the famous UCLA basketball coach, to heart. He said: “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
That may have helped his basketball teams (they were the NCAA champions several times), but how does that apply to your situation?
First and foremost, you have to stop the head noise that is allowing things you cannot control to prevent you from doing the things you can control.
Head noise is the voice in our head that tells us we aren’t good enough, that we don’t have the right resources, intellect, or persistence to accomplish our goals. If we accept these thoughts or let them get in the way of our goals and dreams, they can be toxic to our lives and to our business. These thoughts never propel us forward; they restrict our creativity, limit our abilities, and cause us to become immobile and unable to accomplish what we need to do.
Successful business people learn how to prevent head noise, overcome it when it appears, and help others overcome their own head noise. How? Successful business people focus on the things they can do and make sure the things they cannot do are not seen as so overwhelming. We each have unique talents and skills that enable us to provide the product or service that can make a difference – to the world, our country, and our community. You may not be able to accomplish this difference on your own. You may need the help of members of your internal team, as well as your external team of professionals such as attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, and business coaches.
Protecting ourselves from head noise requires that we defend ourselves against the erroneous suggestions that we are not capable of accomplishing our dreams and goals. We must continuously remind ourselves that we do not have to accept head noise.
When head noise seems in the way, ask yourself what is interfering with what you can do. Then, remove the head noise preventing your forward motion and do what you can do!