A few weeks ago my husband Tony and I took a self care afternoon off work and went to the driving range. Although it was my first visit, Tony had been many times before. The funny (and secretly, my favourite!) part of the outing was that ... I won!
My trip to the driving range, and my win, got me thinking a lot about business and what it takes to succeed. What my driving range experience reminded me of, was that one of the number one keys to my success has been consistency.
When Tony got a little ‘cocky’ and caught up in doing things bigger and better, I maintained my pace, perfected my style and, slowly but surely, racked up points. I stayed focussed, kept showing up and didn’t concern myself with what my competition (aka my darling husband) was doing. I believe this was how a beginner, who had never touched a golf club before, beat a regular on the green.
A lot of aspiring entrepreneurs ask me how I came to build a seven figure business. While there is not one ‘right way’, the path is not clear cut, and it took a whole host of tools and resources to get me to where I am today, my time at the driving range reminded me of the importance of consistency.
Consistency to me means:
I understand that it can be hard to be consistent in business, especially if you’ve been trying for an extended period of time to get to where you want to be, but I assure you that your dedication to consistency will pay off in the long run.
Here’s some things that have helped me continue to show up in my business (and past businesses) with consistency over the nearly two decades I’ve been calling myself an entrepreneur ...
Know that success doesn’t happen overnight
As I mentioned, I’ve been in the skincare industry for nearly two decades. That’s a lot of practice, a lot of failure and a lot of times I’ve had to push myself to keep going.
What kept me on path though, was knowing that success doesn’t happen overnight. Even businesses that appear to come out of nowhere and be ‘overnight successes’ usually have a back story of failure. In fact, it’s usually because of their past experiences and the lessons their failures have gifted them, that they’re able to go on and succeed.
Don’t compare yourself to anyone else
Comparison is the thief of joy and it serves no purpose in your business but to bring you down and demotivate you. Yes, it’s good to learn from others whose success we aspire to, but bringing a negative energy of comparison will only act as a roadblock and delay your progress. Stay in your own lane and celebrate your successes. This is what will allow you to keep showing up in your business and help you get to where you want to be.
Make peace with your mind
Mindset is huge when it comes to consistency. If you have a core belief that you won’t or can’t succeed, or that you’re not worthy of success, then you won’t. I realised early on in my entrepreneurial journey that I had some big mindset blocks that were stopping me from showing up consistently in my business. I wasn’t until I faced this ‘head on’ that things began to shift and I achieved the success I had been craving. Two books I recommend to help you with this are ‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne and ‘Get Rich Lucky Bitch’ by Denise Duffield Thomas. They are game (and mindset) changers!
Learn from your mistakes
If you keep doing the same thing over and over again, but never getting to where you want to be, it’s a sure sign that something needs to change. Yes, it’s important to show up and give things the time and energy they need to thrive, but it’s also important to know when to course correct and let something go.
Because it’s difficult to know what we need to let go of and when, especially when we’re very close to something (like our business), I suggest recruiting the support of a business coach to help you take a step back and make an assessment. My go to business coach who I recommend to everyone is Amy Mackenzie from Designing Her Life.
Enjoy the journey
It sounds cliche but the journey really is just as important and rewarding as the destination. In fact, I wouldn’t be where I am today had it not been for my journey and all of the ups, downs and lessons it gifted me along the way. What once challenged me I now look back on with fondness and gratitude. I truly wouldn’t be the entrepreneur and person I am today without it.
As the oh-so-wise Tony Robbins said, “It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It's what we do consistently.” I’d put my special spin on it by saying “It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives and businesses. It's what we do consistently.”
If you’re starting out on your entrepreneurial journey and feel like you’d benefit from having the support of someone who’s ‘been there and done that’, stayed consistent and come out the other side running a 7 figure business, I invite you to join my course, Skincare Success Simplified. It’s practical and packed full of all the information and resources I wish I’d been given at the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey in the skincare industry. It even includes a whole module on mindset! You can find out more here.
Caryna. X
