By Adrienne Varga – Vision Leader & CEO
FOCUS BUSINESS GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING CONSULTANCY
The years 2020 & 2021 have delivered some incredible challenges to Pilates Studio owners & business owners world wide.
Do you seem to always be feeling unsure about how you’re going to keep your studio alive in these challenging times?
Does it seem like you’ve found yourself often wondering if you’ll be forever overwhelmed, frustrated and confused?
I have some great news for you. You have a CHOICE. Choosing to find opportunities during challenging times like COVID is hard. But choosing to give up, close the doors and let things go is also hard.
I suggest you Choose your HARD wisely.
I want you to know that you CAN keep going. You CAN hang onto the hope and passion for Pilates that got you into business in the first place.
Follow my 7 tips to help sharpen your business focus and harness the staying power you need to come out of the other side with a thriving Studio.
Are you with me?
Step 1: Empty your cup and write a Release List
Imagine yourself sitting in a café. Your coffee arrives and it’s way too hot to drink. You have two choices: you can wait until it cools down (you may run out of time) or you can ask for some cold milk and an extra cup.
Why the extra cup?
Your first cup’s full. Before you can add cold milk, you need to empty a little coffee out.
It’s the same when you feel overwhelmed. There’s no room left for fresh ideas. You’re too busy with whatever your reality is right now.
So, how do you empty your mind?
Grab a piece of paper, find a quiet place and write down everything you feel, think and fear. Note down the hurts, the anger, the frustration. Don’t judge, just write.
Once it’s down, take that paper, tear it into tiny pieces and either bury, burn or flush it.
Release all those negative thoughts and feelings that are blocking you from finding your solution.
You might need to do this exercise a couple of times to get where you need to be: ready to receive information and create solutions.
Step 2: Write a gratitude list
It’s time to see the positive things that are already in your life. They’re still there … you’ve just lost sight of them.
Grab another piece of paper and write a gratitude list. Begin with basics. Don’t pressure yourself.
Some examples:
I am grateful for my healthy body
I am grateful for my family
I am grateful for my morning coffee
I am grateful for my sunshiny day
I am grateful for the people around me who I can trust
I am grateful that I always find the best solution to solve my challenges
I am grateful that things always work out for me
Your list is a work in progress and will grow longer and longer over time.
Read your gratitude list before you go to sleep or first thing in the morning. Acknowledging these positive aspects of your life will help you focus on ideas and solutions.
Step 3: Change your Words
Everything is energy and everything is vibrating.
When we’re experiencing guilt, powerlessness, insecurity, hatred and anger, we’re connected to lower vibrations can only experience or attract certain things.
When we’re experiencing positivity, contentment, belief, happiness, eagerness, love and joy, we’re connected to higher vibrations and our experience is very different.
As you know, the same thing can happen to two different people and one will make the best of it and the other will only find excuses why it didn’t work. It’s like tuning a TV/radio channel to different frequencies to find the music, movies, news or documentaries you prefer.
You get to choose the channel.
Step 4: Change the way you Think
When it comes to challenges in business, studio owners often say to me:
I can’t do that
It’s impossible
Not in my Studio
Not with my team
When you say to yourself that something can’t be done, you’re telling your brain to stop thinking of it as possible.
Instead, when something is challenging you, ask yourself:
How can I do it?
How can I solve this problem?
These simple questions command your brain to start working on the solution. You’re in problem-solving mode and you’ll find solutions.
Step 5: Get used to stepping beyond your Comfort Zone
If you never step out of your comfort zone, your business will plateau. You’ll keep doing the same things and creating the same results.
There’s no growth without pushing your usual boundaries. Stepping out takes courage and a strong vision. You can do it!
Take your first step into ‘fear’ zone. It’s the unknown, the uncomfortable. I call it the muddy water. Don’t look back, take the leap of faith and keep moving.
Next step is the ‘learning’ zone where the water’s clearer. Here, you’ll find solutions and, through experiences, you’ll learn.
Next you arrive at the ‘growth’ zone. Stop and celebrate, enjoy and rest for a while. You’ve DONE IT.
Welcome to your new ‘comfort’ zone. You’ll notice it’s very different from where you started. You’re stronger and wiser.
You’ve done a cycle and now you need to keep stepping out and up. Keep repeating the cycle and your business will thrive.
Step 6: Align with people who are Solution Focused
The people at the same stage you are have the same challenges and have not yet found solutions.
In contrast, people who’ve already done what you want to do will help you grow. They can share their path and show you new ways of thinking.
Find your tribe.
Step 7: Feed your mind with Positive Inputs
You choose what you feed into your mind. Think carefully about the books you read, what you watch on TV. The social media you digest.
Monitor your emotions. If you feel uncomfortable watching certain things, stop watching them.
Your gut feeling will tell you what’s right for you.
When you focus on good information inputs, you’ll feel motivated, happy, encouraged and uplifted.
Now, keep going! Build on these 7 steps to focus your Studio business smarts on what matters. Eventually you’ll find yourself on the other side looking back at 2020 & 2021 as a distant blip on the radar & much more resilient than you ever thought you could be.
About Focus:
Adrienne Varga Founder – Vision Leader, Senior Business Mentor & NLP Practitioner.
Jodie Fielden CO Founder & Resident Conceptual Thinker.
We are passionate about helping business owners in the Wellness industry grow & strengthen their business by bringing mindset & business together.
By creating specific & custom tailored strategies for business owners & their businesses with clearly defined plans designed to ensure their business thrives.
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