Two issues ago, I shared 5 Signs That Your Self-Esteem is Hurting Your Business Success. Those signs were:
- You have clients you don’t enjoy working with.
- People you want as clients aren’t buying from you.
- You allow your clients to “run the show.”
- You’ll do almost anything to be liked.
- You blame anything or anyone for your business results.
I also promised I would be sharing solutions for each of these scenarios, so that’s what I have for you today!
Sign: You have clients you don’t enjoy working with.
Solutions: Choose to raise your standard. Energetically, taking on clients you don’t really like working with is a statement that you don’t feel good about yourself nor deserve to love your work. There are things we can do from the “inside out” to build self-esteem, but there are also things we can do from the “outside in”! So experiment with making this new choice. Test it out! And simultaneously take an “inside out” approach – every evening make a list of 5 successes you had that day. Working both angles will increase the speed at which you grow your self-esteem and solve this problem once and for all!
Sign: People you want as clients aren’t buying from you.
Solution: Make sure your pricing/fees are high enough to attract your ideal clients. Does this sound counter-intuitive? Good!Every time I’ve raised my own fees over the years, the clients I attract are more invested, more committed, and more enjoyable to work with. We are actually being of service when we give people the opportunity to invest and commit to themselves in bigger ways. They will then commit to getting even better results from our services. And you feel good knowing that you are making a difference in the world!
Sign: You allow your clients to run the show.
Solution: Remember to recognize yourself as the professional you are. I know you know this on some level, because you started a business! But you have “forgotten” it in the moments when you let clients call the shots, and that may have happened so many times that it has become your new “habit.” Think about it this way – when you call a doctor for an appointment, do you tell that doctor when they have to see you, or does the doctor’s receptionist tell you when the doctor can see you? Do you then say “I’ll only see the doctor if she can meet with me at 8:00 pm on a Wednesday?” Of course not!
Well, guess what? In your business, YOU are the doctor. You are the one who can solve that person’s problem. They need you. Remember that! Keep a note in front of you or with you at all times that says “I am the doctor!” until keeping your boundaries becomes your new habit!
Sign: You’ll do almost anything to be liked.
Solution: Give yourself a few deep breaths, and center your attention on your heart. Then ask yourself whether your life purpose is to be liked by everyone you meet. Or, was that a value “handed” to you by well-meaning but unconscious people in your life as you were growing up, going to school, and working in the Corporate world?
What if there are times when your need to be liked actually interferes with you fulfilling your purpose? In my early years as a coach, I was horrified when clients or potential clients would get mad at me about a question I asked or observation I made. But I quickly learned that them getting angry “at me” often really meant we had just discovered an area of resistance for them. And that it was the first step to powerful change for them. There are times when this is the only way they will make that change. So I’m actually helping them when I set aside my need to be liked! How might this be true for you in your business?
Sign: You blame anything or anyone for your results.
Solution: Empower yourself by making the decision to accept your actions as the cause of your results. Until you step into full responsibility for every thought, feeling, and result in your life, you are “staking your claim” in powerlessness. And your self-esteem will stay where it is. This can be a tough one for people, because the “default” in our world right now is blaming and victimhood. And many people in your life – parents, teachers, friends, bosses, the media – have all done their part to teach you that you are simply a victim of life and your experiences. So until you decide differently for yourself, you will automatically default to that.
You must consciously choose for yourself every day to see the true cause and effect relationship between your thoughts, emotions, actions and the results you create in your life.
What solutions will you implement from this list? Please share in the comments area below!
Is your self-esteem sabotaging your business results in some way? Apply here for a Solutions call with Debbie!
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