by Rand Selig, author of “Thriving! How to Create a Healthier, Happier, and More Prosperous Life“
Throughout life — business and personal — we face challenges. This can be especially true for start ups and when building a small company. It is also often the case with running a mission driven organization, like many non-profits. Having started and run my own firm for over three decades, I know how true this is.
The key question is how do you continue to move forward amidst the headwinds and uncertainties? How can you be heathy, happy, and prosperous?
Here are my six recommendations:
1. Recognize that Life is a Series of Experiments.
We know from 8th grade science classes that sometimes an experiment works the first time, but often we need to make some adjustments. And frankly, there are times when the experiment is a failure. Don’t get dejected. Keep going! Never give up! Believe in yourself and your organization’s mission and purpose.
Key quality: Have grit and be mentally tough, which will give you the needed resilience and persistence.
2. Know Yourself and Invest.
Have clarity about what your strengths and weaknesses are when it comes to technical and interpersonal skills. It’s important to understand whether you are a leader or a manager. As Stephen Covey, who wrote the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People“, said, “Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.” While these terms are often used interchangeably,they are quite different and require different skills.
Key Quality: Have curiosity, by being a lifelong learner and enjoy new and unexpected things. It makes the journey fun!
3. Build Relationships.
Life on every side involves relationships — with yourself (the most important relationship you’ll ever have is the one with yourself); with family and friends; and at the work place. They allow you to grow, get through difficult times, and be happy. As Emily Kimbrough said, “And remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That’s why it’s a comfort to go hand in hand.” In your relationships, listen first to understand, then be understood. Be trustworthy, have integrity, be authentic. This is an investment in yourself, your enterprise, and everyone you engage with.
Key Quality: Listen and be interested. Then work at balancing between empathy and assertiveness.
4. Take Care of Yourself — Physically and Emotionally.
Start ups, small companies, non-profits are all challenging. You need to know your limits and rest when needed, eat to gain strength, recharge and to enjoy. I highly recommend taking one day off a week — don’t email, text, do business or shop. Instead, relax, enjoy yummy food, music, friends. And at work lean into what you enjoy and are good at, and delegate things that you are not good at or don’t like. Learn to say no. These things will help with avoiding burnout.
Key Quality: Exercise Self-Control by restraining yourself — over your emotions, desires, actions, and impulses — especially at difficult times.
5. Be Positive and Kind to Yourself and Others Along the Way.
Getting down on yourself won’t help you get where you want to go. Quite the opposite! It could just make you miserable and ineffective. Forgive yourself when you make a mistake, but turn it into a valuable lesson. Similarly, it’s vital to be kind to others and forgiving. Yes, be that kind of person! Even if someone disappoints.
Key Quality: Be positive and cheerful, which will add on average 8-9 years to your life. It will also give you power, while fear and pessimism diminish power.
6. Define Success Your Own Way.
Success can be more than financial and more than balancing between work and life. Instead, you can define success in a powerful and rich way by creating an integration of all the important elements of your life that matter to you. This will, of course, include being financially well off, but it might include having deep and enduring relationships; taking care of yourself physically and emotionally; being grateful; being humble and in awe; have humor — about yourself and the situation, being of service to others and our planet, and being a respectful, caring, generous, and kind person. Each of us can decide what aspects to include in our portfolio to create our own definition! We can also decide what “enough” truly means.
Key Quality: Take hold of the reins! Your time is limited, so don’t be trapped by dogma — living with the results of other people’s thinking. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
In conclusion, by doing these things, we can not only create and build healthy organizations, but we can also weather storms, and gain a sense of fulfillment. We have enormous power to be inspired and empowered by making these choices and thereby create a healthier, happier, and more prosperous business and personal life.
Rand Selig, an accomplished entrepreneur, coach, scoutmaster, board member, and roll-up-your-sleeves conservationist, shares his extensive expertise in his book “Thriving! How to Create a Healthier, Happier, and More Prosperous Life“. He founded and has run The Selig Capital Group for over three decades. He is relentlessly positive and believes he can design his own life and others can, too.