WHAT'SYOUR STORY?

BY DWIGHT HODGE

Times are tough, the cost of living is affecting everyone, and the lack of capable, qualified barbers or even willing apprentices is destroying the future of our industry. Not to mention, any half-decent stylist leaves to rent a chair or work for themselves.

It intrigues me that so many business owners feel this way. Yet, just down the street, other business owners see endless opportunities for growth. As their business grows, they engage with and offer positions to incredible, driven, empathetic, and inspiring barbers and apprentices. They are excited and passionate about the industry’s future and what it holds for them and their people.

How is this possible? How can two business owners in the same industry, town, and economic climate experience two such extreme realities?

Fortunately, success leaves clues. I’ve noticed a recurring pattern in my experience working with accomplished leaders and business owners. Most others would assume strategy is the key to their success, but it’s more than that. Successful leaders develop the right state of mind and tell themselves the right stories. These two precursors, state, and story, impact the outcomes they achieve much more than strategy alone.

Why, you might ask, do state and story so heavily impact the results of successful business owners? Let’s consider a person who consciously or subconsciously tells themselves they are fortunate, grateful, have a growth mindset, and deserve all the opportunities that may come their way. If this were you, you’d be more likely to develop a strategy to achieve success. Or suppose your story was closely aligned with the description at the beginning of this article. How effective do you feel your strategy would be then?

If we can agree that the story you’re telling yourself can heavily impact your strategy and your results, why not just tell yourself a better story?

The challenge is that your current state of mind holds you back and limits your ability to tell yourself a better story.

Okay, so to tell yourself a better story, you first need to develop a stronger state of mind.

Fantastic!

To have a more successful business, create a better strategy.

To create a better strategy, tell yourself a better story.

To tell yourself a better story, create a stronger state of mind.

State + Story + Strategy = Success

Well, that is all simple in theory, but how do you begin to create a stronger state of mind?

Here are three hacks I use to change my state:

1, Physiology first

Moving your body is the quickest way to change your state. How you hold and move your body significantly impacts your state of mind. Your body language and posture are a mirror of your thoughts and feelings.

Have you ever seen a friend from across the room? As they walk towards you, their head is down, shoulders rolled forward, and they stare at their feet as they drag them along the floor.

On the flip side, you see another friend head up, shoulders back, and chest out. They effortlessly move across the floor as they stride towards you with a smile. It’s obvious which friend has a positive state of mind, and which does not.

Did you know you can change your state in a moment? Here are some tips: a. Play loud music and dance full-on like nobody is watching for 30 seconds. b. Do 10 star jumps, or c. Run on the spot for 20 seconds.

A short burst of activity does wonders for your state and increases your energy levels.

2, Pattern recognition

Up to 90% of what you do each day is habitual. You consistently perform the same tasks following the same pattern each time. Consider the act of putting your socks and shoes on. Most people unconsciously put a sock on the same foot first each morning. Do you go for the right or left foot first? Do you put one sock, then one shoe, or both socks and then both shoes? Or what about the pattern you follow to make a cup of coffee? Do you always put the coffee, milk, or boiling water in first?

Like putting on your socks and shoes, success follows a pattern. Remember when you were in a strong state of mind; what was the pattern? What led to your strong state? Or consider emulating the pattern of someone you admire who is in a strong state.

Be aware of your often unconscious patterns and consciously commit to following the steps to recreate your strongest state.

3, Visualisation

Now that you’ve uncovered your pattern for a strong state of mind, close your eyes and visualise being in that state. In your mind, follow each step of the pattern and experience your strong state.

Feel all the feelings and emotions you experience when in your strong state. Create a vivid memory in your mind of what it’s like when you are in your strong state.

Your mind is an incredible thing. Interestingly, it cannot decipher between vivid memories and actual events. That means you can practise getting into your strong state at any time. The more you do it, the more you rewire your brain to easily and effortlessly enter your strong state.

You’re dangerous when you are aware of and can control your state! You can powerfully rewrite your stories, effectively develop strategies, and achieve ultimate success.

Dwight Hodge | NLP Master Practitioner | Coach | Author | dwight@dwighthodge.com

@dwighthodge_leadership_coach