To state this in advance: Personal success is and always will be a matter of definition. It cannot be measured by numbers or status symbols, but solely by one’s own individual criteria. This is also the reason why personal success cannot be subjected to empirical comparison.
Nevertheless, I dare to try and critically question professional and entrepreneurial success. Of course, each person can define his/her own standards here as well.
However, if your actions cannot finance your livelihood and the professional or entrepreneurial world feels like a prison or a constant gauntlet for you, in which you struggle daily for your own survival, then one can definitely speak of a lack of success here.
In such situations, many entrepreneurs often blame circumstances or third parties and place themselves in the role of victim. They persist in old habits and behaviors with the supposed assumption that these have always provided them with consistency and security. In principle, this behavior can be described as a kind of “rigidity”. People simply try to “sit out” the situation instead of actively addressing the core of the challenge.
What is the way out of this crisis?
Albert Einstein already recognized:
You can never solve problems with the same mindset that created them.
When I am booked as a trainer, I always start from this motto, because it contains an opportunity. It is our mindset, which in turn drives our behavior.
Now, it’s easy to claim that all you have to do is change your mindset and success will happen on its own. Admittedly, it’s not that simple.
If you talk to people who have exhausted all possibilities for themselves professionally and/or entrepreneurially, they will always confirm that the mindset always includes changing habits.
What’s the point of sticking affirmations on my bathroom mirror every day and telling myself how successful I’m going to be if it doesn’t result in any action and I’m not willing to question old patterns/habits as well?
7 success habits you should definitely know about
1. bear 100% of the responsibility
You may have heard it before:
“Lame people blame people.” – Robert Kiyosaki”
Not the service provider, not the customer or the market, not the bad weather or similar circumstances – No one is to blame for your success or failure but yourself. Take full responsibility for your actions. We often hide behind events, people or occurrences that seem to take control away from us. In this way, we protect ourselves from seeking the core of the cause within ourselves. But this is a fallacy, because it is only at this point that we can implement change at all and bring about an active improvement in the situation. I don’t want you to sit at home and feel sorry for yourself now, but to reflect objectively at which point you as the person in charge could perhaps have reacted differently and shown poise in difficult times. ” Trial and error” as a principle only works if we are willing to reflect on our behavior.
2. make decisions that are in line with your professional/entrepreneurial vision
When I coach women entrepreneurs one-on-one, they often face similar challenges: You give 100% of your energy at all times, but experience no response to your offers and are on the verge of giving up. But already here the paradox is found. How successful can I be if I don’t think long-term and follow a clear vision? Those who do not know them will not receive orders. Without vision there is no storytelling and without storytelling there is no selling. So don’t run after the competition and desperately try to get one customer after another.
For each decision, ask yourself: “To what extent does this correspond to my corporate vision? What will I achieve with it? What added value am I creating and what sacrifice (time, money, effort) am I willing to make for it?”
Quick tip: If something resonates with your professional/business vision, it will put a smile on your face. You feel a tingle, an anticipation that something big is happening.
3. visualize your successes and thereby condition your thoughts
Use a business vision board to help you visualize daily what you want to be responsible for (see point 1). Make sure that the visualization is strong enough. Ask yourself: “Why do I want to go in this direction professionally or entrepreneurially? What are my goals? How do I envision my life after achieving these goals? What feelings does that give me?” A visualization is an active step from the world of thoughts to reality. Of course, good possibilities for action can be derived from this visualization technique, but initially it is intended for one’s own conditioning of positive thoughts.
4. be afraid and jump anyway
Fear is a natural defense of our mind against occurrences that could possibly mean uncertainty. I am not telling you to ignore your fear, but do not invite it into your personal “counseling staff”. We do not find any development in the familiar, but always in the new. Of course, we improve when we repeat a thing more often, but we only become successful when we are willing to take risks.
A little tip: I have always been helped by the phrase:
„Erst die Hand heben und dann darüber nachdenken, wie man es umsetzt.“ Click To TweetChallenge yourself and welcome tasks that seem too big for them at first. It’s like a bungee jump: you think about everything that could go wrong. But once you’ve jumped, you’re still hanging in the air wondering what made you hesitate for so long and whether that feeling can be repeated. The good news is: oh yes, this feeling can always be repeated if you dare.
5. seek support
I have so often wondered why all these wonderful women in my coaching sessions so rarely find the courage to seek support much earlier.
We don’t want to admit that we are stumbling, that we need support, or that we can’t do something on our own.
Well, all I can say about that is:
„Your ego is not your amigo.“ Click To TweetOur ego is sometimes like the foot on the brake. Under the guise of self-protection, we first try ourselves (unsuccessfully) for years before self-awareness finally sets in. Send your ego on vacation and get active! Whether it’s through (online) networking, attending professional training, or getting the support of a good coach – Get the support you need and you’ll suddenly see paths for yourself that were previously hidden.
6. focus – every day!
Whenever we as UnternehmerRebellen are on the road as part of our workshops on the topic of social selling, we have to smile at what some customers say. They show us their sophisticated strategies and plans for reaching new customers, while at the same time raising the question of why they are not having an impact. A closer look quickly reveals the stumbling blocks: your actions are not constant and not focused enough. An article is published on all platforms and then checked for a week to see if it resonates. In between: Little. But what you have written today will have lost its relevance tomorrow. Only when there is a constant and focused strategy can success be achieved. Stay active, think daily about what new opportunities are available for you to successfully shape your professional and/or entrepreneurial path. Just take one thing into account here: don’t lose the joy in what you are doing, otherwise any energy you invest will be in vain.
7. become a mentor yourself and give something back
If you are already solidified in your position as an entrepreneur, it’s time to give back. Use your expertise and experience of the past years and pass them on. Women entrepreneurs starting out in business will be grateful and valuable networking partners. Sharing your knowledge as well as learned success can be done in different formats. Thus, own blogs or forums are tried and tested ways to engage in exchange. Networking meetings or explicit mentorship programs are also good opportunities for helping someone else.
My gift to you today
The Success Women Checklist as a free tool.
Always remember:
There are only two days a year when you can do nothing. One is yesterday, the other tomorrow.
– Dalai Lama
Inquired:
What positive habit is critical for you to follow a successful professional or entrepreneurial path? Are there perhaps even “harmful” habits that can specifically slow down your own success? Share your experiences with the community and let’s create successful habits together!
About the author
Kinga Bartczak advises, coaches and writes on female empowerment, new work culture, organizational development, systemic coaching and personal branding. She is also the managing director of UnternehmerRebellen GmbH and publisher of the FemalExperts magazine .
