You can’t go over it, you can’t go under it, you’ve got to go through it!
Anyone who has little people may recognise this phrase as it’s from the much loved children’s book, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. And if you haven’t I am sure you can appreciate the sentiment!
I’ve been speaking to and tweeting with a lot of people recently, clients, business contacts and the like who are, in one way or another, having a bit of a tough time. Obviously some businesses are struggling in the economic climate with some sectors harder hit than others.
There also seems to be a fair smattering of tricky projects, miscommunications and misunderstandings, partnerships that aren’t going totally to plan.
So, what to do? You can’t go round, under or over it but how to go through it? Here are 5 ideas to get you started;
Count your blessings – even in the midst or turmoil, disappointments and uncertainty there are always things that are good and you can be grateful for. Even when business seems bleak you will have other things in your life to be happy about. Get into the habit of listing them either at the beginning or the end of a day.
Be proactive – it’s tempting to bury your head or get a little frozen when things aren’t going your way. It always feels better to take positive action, no matter how small that action might be so take some positive steps forwards.
Talk it through – it’s good to talk and off load but make sure it’s not a pity party or a whinging shop. Find someone else in business and be a buddy to each other. Help each other stay positive and focused.
Get support – find a business or marketing coach or mentor. Regular meetings to keep you on track with your business plans and to help you to change plans and make new ones when things don’t go according to plan can be invaluable. Tent offers support like this, click HERE to read more.
Take responsibility – and learn from the experiences you have. It’s not about whose ‘fault’ a lost client, a tricky project or failed campaign was, it’s about working out what you could have done better, where you might have contributed to the situation if anything. Then simply learn from it and aim to do better next time round.
We’d love to hear about what you do to take yourself through difficult times – how do you cope when things go wrong?