| Remember learning to ride a bike, and how | | | | the door, payment checks arriving in the mail, |
| nerve-wracking it was to see a big pothole in the | | | | yourself skillfully managing the various tasks of your |
| street? You'd concentrate so hard on that pothole, | | | | business. Even if you think the whole |
| and keep telling yourself "Don't run into the pothole. | | | | "visualization" thing is silly, I'm willing to bet your |
| Don't run into the pothole." And lo and behold, you'd | | | | mental state will be more positive, if nothing else. And |
| run right into the pothole! Energy flows where | | | | that's sure to improve your self confidence and be |
| attention goes. | | | | more attractive to clients, don't you think? |
| Quantum physics is now offering the idea that | | | | If you feel it necessary to think about the |
| thoughts are things. When you think a thought, you | | | | "negatives" in order to make changes, take the |
| are creating something that moves into the field of | | | | approach of seeing every challenge as a temporary |
| dynamic energy that is our universe. And that energy | | | | setback, not an insurmountable obstacle. Break your |
| field works to send the same thing back to you. | | | | goal into manageable stages, baby steps you know |
| Our brains move us toward whatever we are | | | | you can handle successfully. Monitor your self-talk to |
| thinking about. Brain neurology is such that we have | | | | keep it positive and encouraging. Culturally, we have |
| to process out an idea in order to negate it. In other | | | | this crazy idea that a good brow-beating is the most |
| words, your brain first has to picture running into the | | | | effective method for changing someone's behavior. |
| pothole before it can think about avoiding it. So, by | | | | In fact, the opposite is true. |
| focusing on what you don't want, you're "training | | | | A study was done by one of the big shipping |
| your brain" to move toward that very thing. | | | | companies about this very idea and how it might |
| A fascinating study done in Washington, DC in 1993 | | | | impact job performance. Supervising managers were |
| found that there was a substantial decrease in HRA | | | | told they could only make positive comments about |
| (homicide, rape and assault) crimes when a large | | | | their employees' work habits. If, for example, |
| group of TM participants focused their attention on | | | | someone consistently arrived late, the manager could |
| increased harmony and reduced stress in the District. | | | | not reprimand that employee, but could say |
| (Go to U to read more.) The statistical probability | | | | something like, "I appreciate that you were arrived |
| that this result could reflect chance variation in crime | | | | earlier today than yesterday." Or they could ignore |
| levels was less than 2 in 1 billion. | | | | the lateness altogether and comment on some other |
| Now, you're probably thinking, "That's all very | | | | strength that employee had. |
| interesting, Helen. But what does this have to do with | | | | At the conclusion of the study, it was found that |
| me and my business?" I'll tell you. Energy flows | | | | both job performance and employee morale had risen |
| where attention goes. | | | | significantly, which had a direct positive impact on the |
| What are you paying attention to in your business? | | | | company's earnings. The irony was that after the |
| Lack of money? Your fear of approaching a | | | | study was done, despite the rise in profits, the |
| prospective client? The size of your To Do list? It | | | | managers actually stopped using the strategy of |
| can feel counter-intuitive to "ignore" these things. | | | | encouragement and positive comments; they said it |
| However, when you focus on the lack, the fear or | | | | was too hard not to nag and correct! |
| the overwhelm, you are putting your attention | | | | Experiment with thinking and speaking in terms of |
| squarely on the thing you Udon'tU want. | | | | what you UdoU want instead of what you Udon'tU |
| We often think that the best way to motivate | | | | want. When I say, "Don't think about how hard it is |
| ourselves is by looking at what's wrong. It's true that | | | | to build a business," what is the picture you have in |
| pain can be a powerful motivator. However, as an | | | | your head? (effort, frustration and failure, right?) |
| intellectual exercise, this usually leads to | | | | Instead, if I say, "Just imagine all the ways there are |
| catastrophizing and a sort of behavioral paralysis. And | | | | to meet the challenges of starting a business," your |
| on an energetic level, it tends to attract more of the | | | | brain has a different picture to work with and move |
| very thing you're trying to avoid. Energy flows where | | | | toward. |
| attention goes. | | | | Now, let me ask again. What are you paying |
| Instead, practice focusing on what you want more | | | | attention to in your business? |
| of. In your mind's eye, see smiling clients coming in | | | | |