As a coach, I’ve seen how business owners can neglect their personal needs and personal growth in the early stages of entrepreneurship. You’re so busy trying to hustle and bustle and build your business that doing something for yourself just isn’t on your radar.
Here’s the deal: when you grow, your business grows.
You don’t need to feel guilty or any less of a badass for needing some self care, pleasure reading, or time with family and friends. It’s through those experiences that you’ll grow and develop which can only mean good things for your business!
Business demands creativity, passion, innovation, and aligned action. When we stop investing in ourselves that spark that lights us up and moves us forward dims, and so does our business.
If this rings true for you, it’s time to snap out of the coffee haze and invest in yourself! Here are some tips on how to achieve this in your own business.
Write A Personal Growth Plan
I love encouraging business owners to write business plans because they outline what strategies are needed to take a business to the next level.
Writing a personal growth plan is a must for entrepreneurs. Take some time to write out some simple strategies you can commit to for the next 90 days. Just like a business plan, a personal growth plan is just as important!
It may feel silly at first to put pen to paper on what you’re going to do to grow the business of YOU, but you need to remember that you are an integral part of our business. You need to be nurtured just like every other part of your biz.
Reframe your perspective on personal growth
While I am super in l-o-v-e with execution and know how critical it is to business success, I also know that word can be super triggering and met with groans.
If the word ‘execution’ gives you a headache as you think of your business to-do list, then it’s super important we reframe the way you view personal growth activities.
While working on yourself will grow your business, don’t think of it as a business activity or even a to-do.
Find ways to easily and organically integrate personal growth into your life. Make it a fun, pleasurable experience that brings you relief instead of stress.
For example, maybe you really want to read that new Gabby Bernstein book but you’re tight on time. Knock out the two self-care and personal growth birds with one stone: listen to the audiobook while you take a relaxing bath or drink a glass of wine.
Reframe the personal growth activities to be viewed as – nourishing, uplifting, and positive. It’s all about perspective.
Invest time on yourself to prepare for the tough days
The thing about this human experience is that we’re sometimes going to be faced with situations that are challenging. And I’ve never met a successful business owner that hasn’t seen their fair share of tough days.
When we meet these challenging situations, it can feel so much easier and more manageable if we have a consistent personal growth practice.
Have you ever found that you’re more interested in picking up a self-help book when you’re in a crisis? Food for thought: what if you had picked up the self-help book before the crisis?
I’m not saying this magical book will ward off all evil, but if you feel like you’re consistently growing as a person you may feel more confident and prepared when life does try and test you.
Personal growth work reminds us that what we face isn’t a punishment happening TO us, but an opportunity FOR our evolution.
It can be difficult to remember that when you’re in the thick of a sticky situation, which is why a consistent practice is so key.
If you are 100% absorbed into your business and you need to remind yourself that investing in you is investing in your business. Give yourself permission to do some work on yourself.
There is no higher power looking down at you for wanting to spend a little time reading a new self-help book instead of writing 100 new pieces of content (although I do love content).
Personal growth leads to business growth, so think of it as a business activity if that’s what it takes to get it on your calendar. But remember, doing things for you *just because* is okay, too.