What is Circumstantial Calm? with Jodi Levy
Whenever someone asks me how to find balance, I always say that they are not actually striving for stillness. Then there are other people who achieve a sense of peace and quiet, and don’t know what to do with it!
That’s exactly what today’s guest is experiencing. Jodi Levy, Senior Sales Consultant at 2M7 Financial Solutions, doesn’t know what to do with her newfound state of calm. With a very energetic spirit, work and kids, Jodi had been looking for some calm in her life, but now that she has found it, things feel a little too calm…
How To Be A Successful Entrepreneur
Run a quick Google search for “How to be a successful entrepreneur” and you’ll see the same, tired advice over and over again. Most blogs will provide the dictionary definition of an entrepreneur, give some half-baked advice about spending less money on coffee and TV subscriptions, and end with a blurb about never giving up on your dreams.
In other words, the existing literature on entrepreneurship isn’t exactly revolutionary.
Instead of talking about surface level business tactics that anyone can learn, this blog post is going to zero in on the lesser-known aspects of entrepreneurship that separate successful people from those who end up quitting on their goals.
Without further ado, here are several things that’ll increase your likelihood of success as an entrepreneur in 2023.
1. Forget about “outer calm”
In a recent article on entrepreneurship, the author talked about cultivating a space of “outer calm.” In other words, they implored business leaders to create an environment void of distractions in order to focus on important business decisions that needed to be made.
We’re here to tell you that’s nonsense. Why? Because you can’t control whether or not your environment will always be calm. Sometimes your kids will be knocking at your door while you put together a fundraising proposal. Other times, the dog will eat chocolate the night before a big presentation. And still other times, your company might lose a supplier and run out of paper, flour, gas or any other essential commodity that helps your business run.
In instances like these, you can’t count on an environment of “outer calm.” Instead, you need to develop an environment of inner calm, where you can still function at a high level despite the stresses and pressures of everyday entrepreneurship.
A sense of inner calm doesn’t mean being still, indecisive or bored. Actually, it’s the opposite. Being internally calm gives you a blank slate to make decisions that keep life interesting — and decisions that will keep your business growing.
Whenever your entrepreneurial venture starts to stagnate, turn to the calm inside you, and think to yourself: “What kind of opportunities can I create at this very moment that will help me stay busy, growing, thriving and inspired?”
That’s what makes a real entrepreneur. Inner calm > outer calm.
2. Don’t travel the entrepreneurial road alone
When you go on a long hike, you don’t go alone. Even if you do go alone, you always tell someone where you’re going first — a friend, a family member or your partner.
This mentality applies to the business world, too. If you’re an entrepreneur, doing it “all by yourself” is a sign of ignorance, not independence. The best business leaders seek out help wherever they can find it in order to build the best teams and acquire the most up-to-date knowledge possible.
In terms of team building, creating a group that can execute on the tasks required while also contributing to a strong internal culture is no simple feat. To do this, don’t be afraid of networking — you don’t have to cold call your way through a Rolodex of potential associates, but finding like-minded people in your area and asking them for coffee never hurts.
Another networking tip: try playing the “no” game with yourself. To play the no game, simply keep asking for things until someone tells you no. Whether it’s asking for an in-person meetup, a one-on-one call or resources to improve your business, you’d be surprised at how often people will say “yes” if you only ask them!
In terms of improving your knowledge, coaching goes a long way toward ensuring you succeed as an entrepreneur. Many CEOs have their own coach to help them see their own blind spots and achieve their goals. If you don’t already have a coach, now’s the time to invest in one.
Bonus tip: when looking for a coach, choose someone who has already climbed the mountain you’re trying to climb. They’ll be able to show you the path while avoiding pitfalls along the way.
3. Check in with yourself
Getting a mentor is an amazing tool in becoming a better entrepreneur. However, it’s not the only tool. You also need to consult the first and foremost expert on what you need and want:
You.
That’s right — at the end of the day, only you know exactly what’s going on in your mind. That’s why we recommend keeping a journal to record and catalog your thoughts. When you need to make hard decisions about what comes next, journal about them.
Your journal prompts can take the form of anything. Your priorities, your shopping list, your biggest dreams, your fears, your new ideas… as long as you feel enriched by what you’re writing about, the subject matter isn’t as important as the practice of journaling itself. In other words, by capturing everything, you’ll almost certainly capture something of immense value.
How to be a successful entrepreneur: listen to yourself and others
You’ve made it to the end of this article, but that doesn’t mean you’re done learning how to be a successful entrepreneur. The next step is pretty simple: listen to our podcast episode about an entrepreneur who decided that, after years of running a successful but chaotic business, she wanted to “choose” the kind of chaos she cultivated.