by Brittany Benson, manufacturer research specialist
All through business school I heard about the theoretical situations that can happen in business, and the resolutions always made perfect sense on paper. Fast forward ten years and I can acknowledge that reality and experiences don’t always paint a pretty picture or follow those perfect business plans. I believe in finding the beauty in all things, but that doesn’t change the fact that we will all screw up and difficult decisions will still need to be made.
Ever made a financial decision in your personal or business life that in hindsight maybe wasn’t the best use of your resources? How did (or do) you let that shape your ability to move beyond the emotional strings attached and shift your focus back to striving forward? I can say from experience that it is hard to cut your losses, does not feel good, and can quickly eat away at your self-confidence if you let it. However, you are the one who decides what you will do next. You choose how long you will let it keep you down, and you determine what you are going to do next. Moving forward comes from you.
Own your mistakes, or they will own you.
Running a business (or for those non-business owners, taking charge of your own financial life) requires you to own up to your mistakes, forgive yourself, pick yourself back up, and make an action plan to move on with your life. It doesn’t really hit home until you’ve experienced it yourself.
The best way to deal with setbacks and mistakes is to care for yourself amidst all of life’s challenges and busyness. Why do you think there are so many new mom groups out there?! It’s because becoming a new parent is hard, and it’s full of mistakes and questions, trial and error. Being a business owner has its own complete set of worries, mistakes, challenges, and rewards. The number one piece of advice I’ve heard for new moms is to take care of yourself. That bit of advice is true for anyone who cares for someone else, and that’s what business owners do. You care for your customers.
You cannot adequately take care of others without taking care of yourself first. Yes, helping others is rewarding, but it can also be draining and take a lot of your time and energy. Nurturing your business and helping customers is rewarding, but retail can wear you down over time (I’ve seen it happen to people close to me). If your plane is going down or through some turbulence, grab the life mask for yourself first. You cannot continue to attend to others and do what you do if you are not caring for yourself.
So, remain persistent when times are tough. Take care of yourself so you have the energy to pick yourself back up and move forward. Be willing to forgive yourself for mistakes you will make. Brace yourself for life’s realities. Embrace the difficult times and celebrate your joys with others. And keep doing the great work you do, because your customers appreciate you.