I speak wine, NOT whine!
I hear all too often from creative entrepreneurs, producers of handmade products, or small batch manufacturers about what’s not working. There are wholesale accounts that don’t want to agree to their terms and condition, there are customers who are asking for too many samples, or they don’t want to pay for shipping.
There are certainly many concerns when it comes to business procedure and customer care.
But…
There is no whining when it comes to business. Sure, there are rough days when it seems like nothing is going right. But, getting caught up in the pits can slowly turn your vision of a successful business into a bad dream.
It’s a lot of work!
It really hit home for me when I was out for my run. I haven’t really been doing a lot of running because my hips, or SI joint, or soft tissue (who knows) has been really slowing me down.
Today, however, I felt good. Nothing was really hurting. My thought then went to, well, if I don’t want to be achy all the time, I’ve got to get stronger. Funny thing though. I felt strong, but my mind went to “oh, that’s a lot of work.” I was feeling like a whiny-ass because I know that I have to do the work if I don’t want my body to ache.
Sure I could’ve stopped and walked, and complained the way home, but it wasn’t going to make me stronger. Doing my strength work is the only way that’s going to get my muscles stronger, get my aerobic capacity fuller, and help me maintain balance and endurance – especially as I get older.
It’s the same in business.
If you’re a small business owner, you are the one doing all the work. If you sit back and whine about how much there is to do, it’s going to be HARD work.
As a small business owner, it takes time, patience, and the willingness to go beyond normal business hours and do things you have to in order to reach your goals. You have to push past the whining because it’s going to get you nowhere!
This is an endurance race!
You need a strong will in order to do the things that are going to get you noticed, get your products in the hands of people that want them, and make you money.
So the next time you feel whiny, you can do one of two things… work through it yourself. I don’t mean to hold it in and fester in your frustration. I mean, go in, dive below the surface of your angst and find creative ways to boost your mood and keep you moving forward.
If you don’t want to be a Do-It-Yourself, another way to combat your blocks and circumvent your sniveling is to get an accountability partner, or a group of like-minded entrepreneurs that will keep you accountable to your goals and dreams – and catch you when the whine is pouring.
Grab a partner!
Your accountability partner (or mastermind group) is the person to share how you’re feeling with a project, goal or dream. You work together to pull each other out of any whiny phases or moments of disappointment or frustration.
There are times when I feel down, frustrated, and feel like giving up. That’s when I turn to my accountability partner! That’s what she’s there for.
We work together to help each other get past the stuck points. When either of us starts to get caught up in in cheesy whining – we have a thing we say – “snap out of it!”
We don’t let each other get to that place of feeling defeated or overwhelmed.
What do you do when you feel whiny?
Do you wallow in your whimpering or do you pull yourself up by your bootstraps, figure out the dilemma, and keep moving towards you goals?
If you’re feeling stuck, don’t feel that you’re alone!
I truly believe their isn’t a business owner out there that hasn’t fallen into struggle and worry. It’s how we see the big picture that can either send us further down the rabbit hole, or catapult us to new heights.
So, the next time you feel the complaining creeping in ask yourself “Do I want cheese with
this whine?”
If you have some tips you’d to share, I’d love to hear from you! You can share your ideas in the comments section.