How often do you sit and daydream about the future?
Letting your mind completely slip away to the land of “when.” When I do this, or when I complete that… I’ll buy the new house, sell the business, move across the country. This can completely rob you of experiencing the greatness that is happening around you at this very moment.
Trust me, I understand, as entrepreneurs, and even more so as small business owners, we play multiple roles in our business, so it’s tough to just sit with the NOW, and not worry or wonder about the “whens” and “hows” of our futures.
Obviously we need goals and things to aspire towards, but before you solidify what you’re working for, be sure that you’re building a career or business that you want, from the very start.
Looking towards the future can be a good thing because it helps drive us forward during the tough moments, but by pushing through and never pausing to enjoy where you are in the moment, you will likely miss out on some exciting opportunities that are waiting for you as you read this.
Stop Living in the When and remember the NOW
As entrepreneurs, we tend to be naturally creative. Our minds tend to wander and we have BIG dreams that we plan on fulfilling. We have this vision of what we want to achieve, and when we don’t hit that mark we can sometimes feel like a complete failure.
But, that is the absolute worst possible way to look at it. Instead, try this…
Look at what you’ve managed to accomplish prior to your venture failing. Were you able to secure investors that seemed out of your reach? Maybe you were able to invent a product that could change the way moms wipe their kids noses?
Any of those things, even if they don’t turn out in a complete success, should be considered a success. You have the guts and passion to go out there and create a career or business that you love. You took big risks and learned new things.
A failure DOES NOT equal a failure!
A guest of Success Unfiltered, Mindee Hardin, the creator of Boogie Wipes the HUGELY successful wipes for kids stuffy noses (they’re amazing, I have friends who swear by them), shared with my audience and I that from the outside her product seems like a big success. And, to the naked eye it is, but from Mindee’s perspective it was not.
Mindee began her company and was quickly able to find a business partner, and the investors that they needed. She worked her butt off to grow the company to $15 million in sales, which is a massive accomplishment.
However, behind the scenes, Mindee wasn’t taking care of her life or family, which ended up hurting her position in the business. She kept saying “when I hit this point in business” I’ll take a break, but she kept on pushing, until she had no choice but to take a step back and pause. But, when she returned she failed to communicate openly with her business partners and investors that she would be taking a more balanced approach to her work, which ended up causing a lot of issues between the company and herself.
What Mindee learned, is that she was living in the “WHEN.”
She should have created the life / business / career that she so desired. One where she worked 30 hour weeks, and still had plenty of time for her family.
Stop waiting for the when!
Why is it difficult to live in the present?
We live our lives hoping for a better tomorrow. Wishing away the days until we hit some sort of milestone we’ve set for ourselves, but all we’re doing is missing all of the amazing things that are happening around us everyday.
It’s tough, we’re often taught as entrepreneurs that we need to hustle to get anything accomplished, and move ahead in business, but that just isn’t the case. There are things to learn and experience throughout the entire journey.
By our nature, we live in the past and the future more than we live in the present. We can learn from our past experiences and the future helps to motivate us to move forward. It’s difficult to live with just the NOW.
One way you can try doing this is by looking at things that you’re doing as new and fresh. Even if you’ve been using the same sales scripts for weeks, try making it new and exciting by making small changes. Trust me, every experience is different.
Take in your surroundings, maybe it’s a sunny day and the sun makes you feel great. Use that to make your calls and to be fully present with each person. Or, maybe you’re wearing your favorite button down blouse, use that to keep your mind in the moment.
Stop wishing and hoping your days away.
In Conclusion
Everything is constantly shifting and changing, which naturally leads us to look toward what we desire next. But, I challenge you to really focus on the here and NOW and find new ways to embrace your position in life.
You may not feel ready, but you are. That next big client is just waiting for you to meet them, introduce them and begin building a relationship with them. Don’t wait until WHEN you feel ready, the time is NOW.
Stop “when’ing” and start living! NOW!
I would love to know how you are planning to live in the NOW, in the comments!
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