Successful Senior Care Businesses Commit to These 5 Things Everyday!
Every business day can be a new adventure or a new nightmare! There are countless tips, tools and strategies we read about, listen to podcasts about and witness through the behaviors of successful business owners and leaders. So how do you decide which ones to put into practice everyday?
Step #1: Consistency
Absolutely no skill evolves without consistency. Consider an athlete who reaches the pinnacle of an olympian or professional. They have dedicated countless hours of practice, studying, and discipline to saying no and also saying yes. If you are interested in developing a successful business, consistency cannot be negotiated.
What does consistency look like? Everyday you have a schedule, you time block your calendar, you build in time for connection with your employees, you schedule time for a brief meditation, you go to the gym, you make time to learn new things, you stop being distracted by social media that keep you from focusing on your goals and desires, you get to bed at the same time and be sure to get restful sleep.
Consistency is not easy and it’s non-negotiable if you want your business to succeed!
Step #2: Focus
Similar to consistency, where we focus our attention will result in what we want and is a non-negotiable for business success. If we don’t have the mental ability and agility to stay focused on the day to day operations and are easily derailed by the interruptions and distractions that appear on our computer screen, phones and doorsteps, our goals will not be our focus therefore will not be reached.
It’s incredibly common to hear people blame those around them for their inability to stay focused. The process of self discipline begins at an early age. Learning to say no to all of the things that may feel good in order to stay focused on the goals at hand.
Our brains are capable of focusing on several things at once, which was once thought not to be the case, however it’s impossible to be the best of the best at more than one thing. I have coached several business owners who believe they can run more than one business. It is possible to run more than one business, however if you don’t have the supports available, and you continue to focus on the day to day operations, both business will likely fail or be unable to accomplish the original purpose they were designed to accomplish.
Step #3: Self Discipline
Each of the previous examples require self discipline. When you go to a dentist how do their teeth look? How does the trainer at the gym appear? We can certainly be knowledgeable about an area of business but are we disciplined enough to stay the course and practice what we preach?
Self discipline also begins at an early age. Our environmental and family influences are the mechanisms which begin the process of self discipline. Think about the people who were in your life and present as you grew up. How did their day to day behaviors influence you? Was someone up in the morning to help to start your day? Did you have have clean clothes? Breakfast, lunch and dinner? Someone to assist you with your homework? An encouraging person at your school events? Were there rules about curfews and how to spend your free time?
As we grow and evolve, have you been able to say no to the negative influences around you? Were you a decision maker or did you follow others who didn’t have your best interest? Did you select to do things that were simple or those that challenged you despite knowing it may mean saying no to enjoyment?
Lack of self discipline can also show up as consistent lateness, waiting until the last minute, having a disorganized work space. The inability to say no to the things that bring a short dopamine hit can accumulate into mountains of unfinished projects and delayed objectives and goals being achieved.
Step #4: Learning New Information, Lifelong Learning
Leaders are learners. Have you ever met an accomplished business whose leader(s) were not continuing their education? Everyday new opportunities to grow personally and professionally present themselves. Using tself discipline, focus, and consistency we can decide what to learn and how to implement it into our business. Learning from other industry leaders can also create new ideas to accelerate the growth within our business.
Several resources exist for lifelong learning through networking organizations and participating on a committee, with a mastermind group with like minded professionals, with a chamber or commerce, with a non-profit board assignment, with college courses designed for business professionals. (Check previous blog posts for ideas).
Have you considered hiring a business coach, life coach, transitional coach, performance psychologist, etc.? Personal development requires outside perspectives. There’s a profound saying we need to keep in our back pockets: just because we don’t like it, doesn’t mean it’s wrong! We learn through others and our pasts.
Chose a podcast to listen to that caters to your industry or business professionals. YouTube’s resources continue to grow everyday and no matter what you are looking to learn, the opportunities are endless! Learn something new everyday! Capitalize on your commutes, your prep time in the morning, your lunch time.
There are new rules, regulations, tools and strategies being churned out by industry leaders everyday! Tap in to resources on LinkedIn. Join an online group through a variety of social media outlets like Facebook (Meta).
Step #5: Discernment
Entrepreneurs know the importance of discernment. Something magical happens when you start a business regardless of the industry, you get lots of offers to do something else for someone else. This is one of the areas that discernment is a necessary skill. Not everyone has keen discernment skills, the ability to see past the emotional charge we feel when the new opportunity appears wrapped in it’s beautiful package. As with any relationship, we will be put to the test regarding staying committed to the business at hand.
Have you ever wanted to be taller, thinner, funnier, smarter or wealthier? Discernment requires us to stay focused on the present, being mindful of the influence I have and how to focus on the business at this very moment and remove my own wants from the decision. Pushing new possibilities away especially when we are faced with difficulties and obstacles. The importance of using our intuition when our desires are overwhelming us.
Business owners must ask the most important question everyday, “what is the best thing for the business”. This can help to remove the emotional tugs that lure us into a situation that feels better but isn’t the best for us or our business. Imagine if FORD, Microsoft or Apple weren’t discerning, we wouldn’t have a car, computer or phone to rely on and trust.
How discerning are you? Can you separate yourself from the business so the business is equipped to succeed? Discerning also means pushing our egos aside and accepting that we don’t always know what is best, it is learning from others when we really want to do it our way.
In Conclusion:
I’m certain there are more than 5 things successful businesses do everyday. Learn from those you have witnessed and possibly mirrored. Assess yourself and the business on a weekly basis. This is a relationship and like any other relationship, they take time, attention and devotion. Set up a coaching call with me to explore what you need to do so your business is more successful. I offer a free introductory call: 440-212-4987. I look forward to hearing from you about what makes your business successful!