The Faster YOU Grow, The Faster Your Business Will Grow

As entrepreneurs we spend countless hours trying to figure out how to improve our business models, execution strategies, social media presence, marketing, website copy, pricing, and so much more. If you’re anything like me, you find yourself in what I call “research rabbit holes” at least once a month.

I’ve found so much information online that I don’t even know what to do with it!

And although being informed is important, it has sometimes become a distraction to what I believe is the true secret to business growth: personal development.

Though we all know that personal development is important, we rarely take the time to address the ingrained habits, dysfunctional thinking, and deep-rooted issues that hinder our business success.

Think about it. What isn’t working in your business right now?

• Are you losing money?

• Are you having a tough time finding customers/clients?

• Are you in need of more visibility?

• Do you need interns and other staff to help you balance the load?

Every business has room for improvement, but we tend to focus on finding “tools” to fix these problems, instead of looking within. Once you’ve identified what you need for your business, you have to identify the exact actions that will get you there. For example:

• Making cold calls.

• Writing twice as many blog articles.

• Finding strategic partners to expand my reach.

• Raising capital for my company.

• Restructuring my business model.

• Increasing my pricing.

After you’ve identified key actions, write down all of the activities you are engaging in that are blocking you from getting what you need for your business.

What things are you doing everyday that will not get you what you want? For example:

I spend way too much time designing and re-designing my websites.

I am too liberal with taking coffee meetings with random LinkedIn connections who won’t help grow my business.

I always find myself researching business tools online (Did I mention the rabbit hole?).

What are those non-essential activities for you? Write them down and make a list.

Finally, answer the toughest question of all – “Why am I not doing what I need to do to be successful?” Dig deeper and figure out why you aren’t engaging in the exact activities that will take your business to the next level.

Is it a confidence issue? Are you not asking for help and trying to do everything on your own? Are you scared of making mistakes? Do you feel that your product or service isn’t good enough? Are you too busy comparing yourself to others?

Tell the truth and find ways to remove the underlying psychological dysfunctions that are ultimately hurting your growth and success.

No amount of apps, tools, tips, tricks, videos, blogs, or books is going to help your business thrive if you don’t work on developing yourself first.

Complete the exercise above. When you’ve completed your self assessment, make a list of specific actions you will take weekly to break the dysfunctional habits that have been negatively impacting your business growth. Don’t try to tackle everything at once. Take one step at a time.
Personal development is not about learning what experts say on leadership, mindsets, or wellness. It’s about looking within and engaging in consistent self-reflection. This can be tough for those of us who feel uncomfortable shutting out the outside world and becoming intimate with ourselves. The true breakthrough happens when you begin to master what I call “personal accountability” – when you acknowledge your limiting beliefs, adjust your dysfunctional behaviors, and move purposefully outside of your comfort zone knowing that faith is all that’s necessary to propel you toward success.

Take action right away to achieve a major breakthrough in your business this year.

Dr. Brandi Baldwin-Rana is a Career and Leadership Strategist and CEO of YouAdvise.Me, a firm that helps organizations create “instant employee engagement departments” through intensive employee and leadership transformation programs.

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