Learn to Love Yourself, Learn to Love Your Business
Self-growth is an ongoing process, which means that it requires regular dedication over the course of time. Starting down a path to develop a positive mindset, both in business and in your personal life, and to become a more fulfilled person is an action that should be commended. It takes honesty, dedication, and an open mind to continuously move forward to better yourself. One of the most significant actions you can take to make your journey easier is to embrace and believe in self-love. Remember, your thoughts control your feelings and behaviors so it's best to keep them on the side of positivity.
If you allow your thoughts to be self-critical and negative, they will end up having a negative effect on the way you feel about everything as well as the actions you will take; this can lead to the downfall of your company. Negativity is like a virus; it seeps into your business and personal interactions and affects everything. Once you realize that learning to love yourself helps your relationships with both your business and the people you deal with, you can move toward living in fulfillment. The following tips will guide you in discovering how to get better at self-love in order to bring you closer attaining your goals in business and your personal life.
Mind Your Posture
Did you know that the way you hold yourself tells others a lot? A business owner with poor posture, who slouches and avoids eye contact, can be viewed as someone who lacks self-esteem. This kind of presentation can have a negative effect on your self-esteem and on the people you deal with, including your potential customers. When you portray weakness in yourself, your customers are likely to feel as if you are not strong enough to care for their business needs. Just based on the presentation of yourself, you can lose your target clients to your competition. So, avoid slouching and straighten your spine instead.
At first it may hurt and feel unnatural, but as time goes by, you'll notice it feeling more and more natural. Try looking people you meet squarely in the eye (but I mean look away at times - don't be creepy) and speaking to them with clear communication. You’ll be surprised the impact just this small change can have on your confidence, and in turn, your business.
Dress Happy, Feel Happy
Wearing clothes that make you feel attractive and comfortable is something I would suggest you doing to put a little spring in your step. If you’ve been feeling a little blah lately, this small step can help boost your self-esteem. Now, I'm not telling you to go out and spend loads of money on a whole new wardrobe, I'm just saying to dust off some clothes in your closet that you may not have worn in a while. Remember your favorite outfit? Pull that out, add some nice accessories, fix your hair, put on some makeup (if you're into that sort of thing), straighten that spine and sell your look! Putting a bit of extra effort into your overall look can go a long way toward boosting your self-esteem, and help you look more professional and in charge to your target market.
Push Your Passion
Another excellent way to pull yourself out of depression and make yourself attractive to your target market is to invest time in your passions (one should be your business - If you're not passionate about your business, this can also lead to depression). When you're feeling down, it can be easy to forget about the reason you first started your business or even forget about the hobbies you once enjoyed. If you think you don’t have a passion for your business, now is the perfect time to revisit why you started this business in the first place and figure out if it's time to rebrand in order to match your passion. Sit quietly and reflect on the activities you enjoy helping others perform or that you’ve been interested in trying. Once you’ve identified up to three, make a plan to get started. Wrapping yourself up in a much-loved business is more than likely to renew your sense of purpose and accomplishment. Your excitement will show through in the way you talk about your company and is likely to be contagious. Your target market will enjoy listening to you, being around you, and working with you. People enjoy being around others who exude passion and enthusiasm.
Care for Yourself First
Investing in your health and self-care is difficult to do when you’re already not feeling very positive. The funny thing is, when you start to show yourself some attention, you’ll begin to feel more deserving of it. For example, eating healthy and exercising leads to increased energy, an enhanced mood, and better self-esteem. Doing all of this is bound to produce a more positive and realistic outlook, allowing you to continue to invest in yourself and in those around you. In every business book and article I've read about successful business owners, the first thing they do is care for themselves; exercise and meditation first thing in the morning.
These tips are just a handful of strategies to building the self-love required to improve your business and the relationships in your company. Just remember that with most new habits, it can be difficult to start. However, once you begin to put these actions into practice, you’ll find it easier to make them a routine part of your life. It won’t take long for your positive feelings about yourself and your business are abundant and begin spilling over into other areas of your life.
—Ky Toure