Business Peace Means Business Success

By Lisa Cherney

Where does the word “peace” come into play in your business?  What would peace in your business look like?  We all know what “business success” looks like, but how about “business peace”?  Is peace a dollar figure, a certain number of clients, or is it a state of mind?  Is peace dependant upon anything external (like profit) or is it all your inner workings.  Maybe it’s just how you view the world.  These are the questions I ask myself when I feel like I want more peace. 

Is Peace an Inside Job?

When it came to my business, I use to pray for lots of external things.  When I got the clients, the money and the recognition and I still didn’t feel content, I realized that all I really wanted was inner peace.  If I am peaceful then that means I am happy.  If I am happy, that means I feel like I have the clients I want and the money I want.  Inner peace means I feel like things are going along swell (a very Brady word).  What would it be like if you felt peaceful about your business?    What can you do to maintain business peace?  Here are a few things that help me:

·        First thing in the morning, visualize how I want the day to be.

·        Not answer the phone when I’m in creative activity (i.e. writing).

·        Choose to not answer email right away, especially if it stirs up non- peaceful feelings.

·        Not skip meals, no matter what.

·        Say “no” to opportunities that feel stressful before they even start.

·        Knowing I have the weekend off and several evenings free.

·        A plan for when I will do administrative things so they don’t hang over my head.

How Does It Feel?

Does this mean you don’t take risks?  Does this mean feeling a little fear is a bad thing?  No. It just means that you maintain an awareness of your peace level and make adjustments when you feel necessary.  This means that you are conscious.  I started Conscious Marketing because I found many business owners were defining themselves by what they thought clients wanted, looking externally and then consequently, not attracting the success they wanted.  Conscious Marketing is an “inside out” approach.  We encourage you to start with what feels good inside, the clarity from within, and then move outward with action in alignment with your purpose and passion. 

Business Peace is about the same thing.  It’s about checking-in to how something feels at every step of the way.  Even when you have a plan for how things are going to go.  Stop. Check-in, and see if it still feels good.  Or, did new awareness arise as you moved down the path?  Things often become clearer as you get closer.  New inner awareness comes forward and the plan may need to be adjusted (or even aborted).   As an entrepreneur, our business is a reflection of who we are.  Since we are constantly evolving, so is our business.  My Business Peace honors that process.

What is Your Feeling Vision?

We all know about creating a vision for our business.  We all know about setting goals and project planning.  But we often forget about how we want our business to feel.  I often say, “I help people create a business they love with the income they want.”  Notice that the “business they love” is first priority.  If that feeling isn’t there then the income feels empty.  Or, the income doesn’t come. 

So, how do you want your business to feel?  Answer these questions to get a start on creating the Feeling Vision for your business:

1. How does it feel on Monday morning? 
2. How does it feel when the phone rings?
3. How does it feel when you meet with a potential new client?
4. How does it feel when you pay your bills?
5. How does it feel when you attend networking events?
6. How does I feel when friends ask, “How’s the business going?”
7. How does if feel when they ask for a business card or brochure?
8. How does it feel when you take a day off?
9. How does it feel when asked for your pricing or a quote?

For my Feeling Vision, I want all the answers to be in the peaceful category.  My answers include words like proud, accomplished, self-assured, excited, purposeful, confident, etc.   And here is the catch… the answers are not dependant on external things.  For example, you can feel at peace paying bills even if you realize that you owe more then you think.  You can feel confident taking a day off, even if a client has a crisis.  

At the top of my To Do list everyday are the words “Walk” and “Meditate.”  Now, it wasn’t always like this.  When I first left Corporate America, I was driven by guilt and “should” in nearly everything I did.  The corporate programming was my operating system, even though I was now in charge of my day.  I didn’t have inner peace and the idea of a Feeling Vision was nowhere in site.  In fact, my dominant daily feeling was anxious.   Six years later I now know for sure that when I have Business Peace, I experience Business Success.  If I love my business the money and opportunities flow in.  What can you do to maintain your business peace?