We are a few months into a new year, and there’s still plenty of time to reframe your focus and begin the year with clear, thoughtful intentions. When you approach a new season with intentionality, it not only benefits yourself, but those benefits create a ripple effect on those around you.
The future of your business is important to you—as it should be—but it’s equally important to identify and gain clarity about your priorities and make conscious choices to help you overcome challenges. Building a resilient, well-planned family enterprise or business starts with understanding and unlocking your full potential. You can start today with these simple, easy-to-implement daily habits that will help you build an adaptable mindset and face challenges head-on with patience and minimal stress.
Cultivate Mindfulness
Mindfulness is simply bringing one’s attention and awareness to the present moment, rather than dwelling on the past or incessantly worrying about the future. Mindfulness practices come in many forms, such as meditation, yoga, mindful walking, or even mindful journaling. Incorporating a mindfulness practice is a great way to reduce stress and anxiety, boost your emotional well-being, and foster a grounded and present mindset.
Confront Your Inner Critic
Do you feel like you’re constantly pushing away negative thoughts or inner criticisms? It’s important to observe and challenge your internal negative voice, which will in turn help you transform limiting thoughts into empowering affirmations. Once you catch your inner critic in action, only then can you consciously replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Recognize your ability to shape a more positive narrative for yourself and practice self-compassion by offering the same kindness and understanding as you would to a friend.
Craft Your Narrative
Crafting your narrative means taking over the script and penning your journey, despite hesitations or adversity. You know yourself better than anyone—and your unique chapters shape who you are, as well as how others perceive you. Remember that sometimes our narrative changes, because life’s events are never constant. Be flexible with yourself and with your narrative, and craft your story with intentionality, recognizing that there will always be bumps in the road along the way.
Practice Self-Kindness
For some reason, many of us find it difficult to treat ourselves with the same amount of kindness and compassion as we would to those around us. Amidst life’s demands, we tend to be harsh on ourselves and only gentle with others. Prioritize self-kindness with daily acts of self-love—this can be as simple as speaking kind words to yourself and resisting the urge to dismiss or judge negative feelings. Engage in activities that bring you joy and encourage the cultivation of gratitude, such as reading a favorite book or engaging in a relaxing hobby.
Be Your Cheerleader
We are oftentimes our own worst critic, but we also need to celebrate our victories and highlight our achievements. This mindset shift may take some practice, but it begins with talking to yourself with positive and affirming language, as you would to your best friend. We tend to be distracted by weaknesses—instead, celebrate your strengths and take pride in obstacles you’ve overcome. Because if you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else will.
Get Active
Studies have proven again and again that incorporating daily physical activity improves mental health while reducing stress. Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, which are neurotransmitters that act as immediate mood-boosters in the body. Regular exercise can provide a healthy distraction from negative thoughts while improving self-esteem with a sense of accomplishment. Whether it’s walking or biking, dancing or weight lifting, playing pickleball or going for a jog, getting active comes with a myriad of benefits for both body and mind.
A Growth Mindset For Your Business
Having a growth mindset, whether personally or professionally, means embracing challenges head-on and learning from challenges. At Positively People, we are passionate about helping family businesses adapt to challenges with transition planning, conflict management, and working towards sustainability across generations. Learn more about how we expertly aid in planning for the future with family business consulting, succession planning, and more.
