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Entrepreneur Support
ENTREPRENEUR SUPPORT BY HELEN WILLIAMS Our columnist on why positive thinking right now is NOT a falsehood or façade
CELEBRATE EVERY WIN
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Granted, right now doesn’t seem the appropriate time for celebrating or marking up many wins on the board.
It is probably the most challenging time that most of us have experienced in life and business, even if we did survive the 2008/09 recession.
This time it all just seems a lot more impactful due to the personal element of the emotional and mental effects it is having on us as individuals and our respective family, friends and colleagues.
Without continuing into what can quickly become a rabbit hole of doom, I wanted to encourage as much positive thinking as humanly possible.
There are some great things happening, some positive achievements, some great acts of kindness and spirit.
Let’s remember these and make all continuation and progress a recognised win for you and your business.
The idea of positive thinking is not a falsehood or façade, it isn’t about standing in a circle chanting daily affirmations and being completely oblivious to the realities of the world, but it is a proven tool to overcome stress and ensure the management of challenging scenarios.
Top tips to positive thinking:
1 Heighten your awareness to the positive as opposed to the negative
This does take practise and focus. It is always easier to notice the negative or the problem and then become fully consumed there. Start actively seeking the positive and take a new perspective where possible. This approach can often lead to critical thinking and throw up all different kinds of ideas and alternative routes.
2 Recognise successes and wins
Every win is a win regardless of the size. How you measure success and winning is down to personal preference but remember not to always pin it on financial gain and tangible factors.
If there has been a particular display of resilience either by yourself or in your camp, celebrate it. If there has been consistent work ethic and positive attitude towards business tasks and continuation of operation, celebrate it. If you have seen improvement in your behaviour and thought processes due to conscious learning and living, celebrate it.
3 Practise Gratitude What are you really appreciative of right now? All of the things that we often take for granted and sleepily don’t see, think or feel as we go about our daily lives. There is so much we can consider as ‘lacking’ right now, from loss of income to cancellations of family holidays and gatherings but what and who can we truly be thankful for? There are sure to be an infinite number of things, people or experiences that you can bring into your present mind and harness with positivity and joy.
Everything we do starts and ends with you – hence our core ethos of #youfirst – so don’t forget the old adage from Dr. Robert Schuller of ‘tough times never last, but tough people do’.
