Let’s face it, running a business is hard. Even when it’s fun, it’s hard. It’s hard to market, it’s hard to find the right words, it’s hard to brand, to choose colors, to sell, to find the right people. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep going. I was watching a video from the Duke women’s basketball coach recently, and she talked about Handling Hard Better. How things never get easier—we just learn to handle hard better.
It got me thinking about how especially hard things have seemed in my own business lately. And then I thought about how hard things were during the Pandemic. And then how hard it was when I started my business. And when I was doing both my business and running eWomenNetwork in Colorado Springs. And when my son was struggling in school, and when he came home from college after dropping out, and we struggled with him being home. Let’s face it. Life. Is. Hard. AND, Life. Is. Beautiful. Business is hard. And business is beautiful. And, here’s the truth—you make a difference and help others through some of the hard. It’s true!
So, what can we do to handle hard better? How do we stay inspired? How do we keep going on the tough days, tough months, tough years? Here are some thoughts:
1. Don’t grow or go it alone.
In the words of my amazing friend and founder of the Small Business Owners Community, Pat Miller, Don’t Grow It Alone. Find a community. Find people who will make sure that you know you’re not alone—you’re not the only one going through the hard. You’re not even the only one having the issue you’re having right now. The community will allow you to let out your frustrations and find solutions. Don’t keep all you’re feeling to yourself.
2. Create a goal around the hard.
What will happen if you get through it? What do you want? Where are you going? If you can create and name a goal, you can start to handle the hard.
3. Make a plan.
Recognize that whatever is happening is hard, name the hard, create that goal, and then make a plan of the actions you can take so that you’re moving forward and not spinning out in the hard. If you have a plan, it’s a lot easier to move forward. If you’re standing by the side of the road with a flat tire, will you just continue standing there? Or will you look for a jack, flag someone down, make a phone call, Google how to change a tire? You would formulate a plan, so you aren’t just standing there! Why wouldn’t you do the same for your business?
4. You must then take action to implement the plan.
Does the plan guarantee easy? Not a chance. Does it help you see where and how you can take action? Yes! Take away the big picture for a moment and start taking the small steps to move out of the hard. When I’m playing tennis and feel I’m in a losing game, I make a performance goal. Move my feet. Toss the ball higher. Rotate my body more. Watch the ball. I’m not trying to think about winning or about everything. It’s one shot at a time, one move at a time. For you in business (us in business), do one step of the plan, then another, then another. Keep checking in on the goal and make adjustments. In this way, you’re making your way through the hard. In other words, handling hard better.
This three-minute clip from Kara Lawson put a lot into perspective for me. Tomorrow, next week, next year in your business will not be easy. Times and things won’t necessarily be easier. There will always be something hard happening or something hard to do. Why not take some actions that will help you handle hard better? Here’s to it.
You can do this.
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