Lately I’ve noticed some interesting changes about my motivation. I find that when I watch a lot of doom and gloom news, I lose my steam. It’s also easy to realize how much time I could waste away if I watch TV during my work day. So, I figured you might be facing these same issues too and wanted to offer some suggestions to help.

1.  Get TiVo or DVR

Rather than completely deny yourself your favorite daytime shows, try recording them to watch during a non-work time. Not only can you reduce your overall viewing time by fast forwarding through the commercials (well, except that adorably funny E-trade baby), you can also avoid interrupting your work day.

By recording these guilty pleasures and time shifting your viewing, you also avoid the resentment that comes from having to give them up completely.  It’s an effect I call the “bonbon jealousy effect” – that sinking feeling that if you were only more successful or rich or clever that you could be sitting on the sofa eating bonbons watching Oprah instead of working. Well, by using TiVo or DVR, you can have the best of both worlds!

2.  Do a mind-body connection reality check

When you are listening to the latest breaking report about an airplane crash, or war, or economic recession, take a deep breath and ask yourself how you are feeling. Are you jittery? Depressed? Anxious? Tense? Is this the feeling that you want people to feel working with you? If not, don’t choose it for your own environment either. You will absorb that negativity and you will pass it on, either to your kids, or your partner, or your clients. Dump the gloom.

I understand that you need to stay informed. But, do you have to watch hours of news about a catastrophe? You’d be better off taking action, like donating to the cause, or spending the precious time you have in this life with your family. And, more importantly, how much time do you spend watching uplifting, inspirational stories or maybe light  hearted comedys? Shift the ratio a bit and you will notice it’s easier to work and stay happy. I personally recommend the laughing babies you can find on YouTube. Major medicinal value for your spirit…

3.  Online video viewing counts as “TV”

I can’t tell you how many people I talk to that say they don’t “watch TV” but they spend hours online watching videos. Even a Twitter freak like me recognizes the perils of too much computer surfing. Not only will your arms, fingers, and shoulders begin to ache from overuse, but your eyes will start twitching and you’ll feel exhausted from viewing a glowy box for so long.

Commit to a window of time when you’re allowed to watch and absolutely, without exception, schedule time unplugged too. Sunshine is a marvelous thing and long distance viewing (versus close in like when you are watching your computer monitor) will preserve your eyesight. And, the life balance that occurs from incorporating various methods of interfacing with other people will help keep you on track.

My last thought is this – go for the good stuff. Watching reruns just to zone out isn’t really the best option. If a movie you’ve already watched comes on at 2 am when you have insomnia, don’t just zone out – make it special. Pop some popcorn, drink some wine, whatever, but refuse to participate in passive entertainment unless you are living it up when you do it – especially if it’s been there done that material.

Entertainment and distraction is an essential part of staying creative. Numbing yourself out with video isn’t part of that equation. So, pass the remote and truly enjoy what you watch. It can be fun and it can be part of a work at home life.

Together, we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher, the  original SmartWoman

Sometimes the environment we see pokes at us. We look around, see liars and cheaters getting bailed out, see unscrupulous (or maybe just lazy) business people getting awards & recognition and we feel burned. We think about the high quality work we do (and the amount of it) and wonder why we even try so hard. We think about the employees we treat with respect while others are cutting wages and laying off.  We aren’t doing as well as we’d like to be, as we need to be to support our families, and we want to just give up. As tempting as it might be to give up, we usually don’t, but our happiness quotient definitely takes a beating. Sometimes the whole thing just becomes too much.

But, even if we don’t give up, one thing we may start doing is playing the Blame Game. We start saying the reason why our business is lurching is because of all those other things – the economy, fear, gas prices, foreign outsourcing, the government – those other people. We quit looking at our processes, our customer service, the quality and relevance of our product offerings, and shift to blaming something else beyond our selves, beyond our control.

I’m telling you now, you need to stop that thinking right away – now – this minute! Not only is it probably not the real reason your business is being challenged but it also is not what a leader would do.  Your family and your employees need you to inspire them to get through this time. You need to be their rock, their light in the storm. You need to step up. Being a visionary is your entrepreneurial duty.

There are real impacts from the economy and from circumstances that you are probably experiencing and I don’t mean to minimize those in any way. But, rather than fall into the deep hole of uncontrollable chaos, here are some tips for you to strengthen your business during these economic times.

1.  Improve your customer service

I’ve been receiving extra services from my insurance company lately.  And, the services they are adding are worthwhile and valuable, things I’d wish they’d always done. That activity is definitely contributing to me not going bargain shopping for another insurance company. Even just getting a letter with tips on how to save money has been helpful and well timed. I intend to stay with them.

So, what services could you be providing that are non-cash or low in cost to you that would provide value to your customers? Would maybe just a personal phone call from you expressing appreciation do the trick? If you haven’t tried it, you don’t know the impact that putting a real face on your business can have on the loyalty of your customer base. But, I’ve tried it and it works.

2.  Ask more questions

Challenging times demand more creativity. Ask your employees what you could do better. Ask them what ideas they have to improve sales and encourage them to take action on their ideas. Ask your customers what they need from you. Ask your suppliers how you can be a better customer. Ask where most of your money comes from and focus on the strong products that are working and diminish the focus on the weaker products. Ask what training you or your employees could gain to take your business to the next level. Ask, ask, ask.

And, once the answers start coming in, listen without judgment or a critical reaction. You might have to shift how you’ve been doing things. By being willing to examine everything and being open to change, you will find what works. If an honest examination reveals that you should shut down your business and move on to something else, that is an answer also. The joy and responsibility of being an entrepreneur is to make those choices. Take heart that you have the intelligence, drive, and personal resources to do whatever it takes to succeed. All of this can shake you a bit, but it’s all worth examining. Ask!

3.  Get back in touch with your passionate purpose

To continue to have the energy and focus to work through your challenges, you need to remind yourself why you do what you do. Think about the lives you’ve positively affected, the families you’ve helped, and the contributions you’ve made to your community by being an entrepreneur. Stoke the fires of passion that led you to start a business in the first place. Take a few moments to feel the gratitude of being in a world that allows you to pursue your dream.

Sometimes you need to step back and take a deep breath to gain a new perspective. Try turning off the doomsday news and doing some volunteer work. Listen to music or sit out in Nature. Take a walk. Where it may not seem that these activities are business related, they are focused on your wellness and balance. And, here’s where you can make a difference, where you have full control. Your balance and ability to stay upbeat even in the face of challenges could very well be the turning factor in your business, especially during hard economic times.

Worry does not solve problems and impulsive actions will more likely exacerbate rather than resolve your issues. By taking time to plug back into your purpose, by asking questions, and improving your customer service, you can begin changing the impact of the real and imagined dangers of being an entrepreneur. And, please, know that you have friends here. Speak up if we can help you in any way – we believe in you.

Together, we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

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