All throughout the last year, my team and I got so many messages from our clients and readers and listeners and other people in our community—people who are really hurting, and feeling really anxious.
People wondering things like—
- “How can I set financial goals when the world might look completely different six months from now?”
- “How can I hire new employees when the economy feels so shaky? Is it smart or responsible to do that?”
- “Should I be saving every penny I possibly can, right now, just in case things get even worse in the future? What if I lose clients, lose my job, or lose another major source of income?”
And, look….I don’t have a crystal ball, and I can’t predict the future. Nobody can.
But I know this: you can set exciting goals, you can succeed, you can win, you can move your life in the direction that you desire, even now.
Even when the world feels unpredictable, some things CAN be predicted.
How? Here’s what we’re gonna do:
#1. Focus on the things that ARE certain.
Because a lot of things are VERY certain. EVEN now.
Now and forever, now and always, now and throughout history—no matter what is happening in the economy, the following things are ALWAYS true:
- People always want to make more money. This is always true.
- People always want to feel healthier and have more energy. This, too, is always true. And…
- People always want to meet someone special and find love.
- People always want to keep the spark alive in a long term relationship.
- People always want to educate their children.
- People always want a beautiful home.
- People always need to eat.
- People always want puppies.
- People always want to be entertained and have a temporary escape from the pressures and troubles of life.
- People always want to have babies.
- People always need to plan funerals.
- People always want glowing skin and healthy hair and want to look and feel their best.
- People always have problems, and need solutions to those problems!
I could go on, and on, but you get my point.
Even during a pandemic, even during an economic downturn, even during a social justice revolution, even during a transition from one President to another, no matter what, there are certain things that human beings ALWAYS want and ALWAYS need. There are things that people will invest in, and pay for, always, always.
We are very predictable creatures, in so many ways.
Let this provide some comfort to you—especially if you’re a business owner.
Yes, there is uncertainty in the world.
But there is also a great deal of certainty.
So, if you feel anxious about the future, focus on what is KNOWN. Focus on what is CERTAIN. Let this provide some solid grounding under your feet.
Remind yourself, “There is actually a great deal of certainty in this world. There is a lot I can predict and rely on.”
#2. Love your data.
I have a member of my team (**cough, cough…my Marketing Manager…*cough*) who lights up when she hears the word “data”. Really. Why? Because to her, data is the “cheat code”.
Wondering how our latest offer is going to sell? She checks the data and makes a prediction.
Wondering what we should do to spread the word about my book to more people? She looks up the numbers of what has worked for us historically.
Thinking about what we could try to really help solve our Club members’ most pressing problems? Off to the survey data she goes to look up the answer.
She says tracking and reviewing data is the secret to relieving business anxiety and to getting out of decision paralysis.
And I completely agree.
At Hello Seven, the data tells us that there are many things that feel certain:
For instance, we know that about 90% of our Club members renew their membership every month, while 10% decide to leave. It’s pretty predictable, month to month.
We know that if we send 4 newsletters to our mailing list, release 4 podcast episodes, and do 4 additional promotional emails per month, then all of the free content will provide a ton of value and will help us maintain or increase our Club enrollment numbers with business owners ready to dig in and learn even more from us.
This is one reason why, as a CEO, I love seeing weekly and monthly reports. I love to see the DATA. Show me the numbers!
How many new Club members, how many new social media followers, how many book sales…I find it really empowering to look at the data, because the data doesn’t lie. It’s powerful to know, “Okay, if we keep doing XYZ, then we’re pretty likely to get this result.”
You can do this in your own business, too. Look at what you did in the last month. Look at the results you got, or didn’t get. Look at the data. Look at the facts. Use this to choose your next moves.
Don’t have data? Start tracking today. Track your number of subscribers, followers, customers, phone calls, inquiries…anything! Open a google sheet. Note where you are today.
Then vow to track and review what’s happening in your business going forward. Look for spikes. Look for patterns. See what moves the numbers. Let it be your guide.
#3. Resolve to be consistent AF.
Most people set a goal, make a plan, work the plan for 1 or 2 weeks, then give up and start over from scratch. New goal. New plan.
This is usually a mistake.
When you give up too quickly, you’re missing out on the rewards. You have to commit, stick with it, keep working the plan…and give things a chance to actually yield results.
For example, let’s say your goal is to get 5 new clients. Okay. Cool. You want 5 new clients. Your plan is to contact 50 potential clients and invite each person to hire you. You’re going to contact people via email, text, phone, and through your mailing list. You’ll keep going until you book 5 clients. Great goal. Great plan.
So you dive in, you start contacting people, you contact 3 people, and the first 3 people all happen say “no thank you.” Then you panic. You freeze. You stop contacting people. You figure, “this is never going to work.” You give up. You go back to the drawing board—new goal, new plan, new mission statement, new brand identity, pivot, pivot, pivot!
Do you see how this is a mistake? You’re quitting before you even gave the plan a chance to work!
Instead of giving up so quickly and pivoting a million times and exhausting yourself in the process, what if you decided, “How about I stick with the original plan awhile longer and see what happens?”
Stick with it. Yes, of course, you can make adjustments and refine as you can go along—but if you are dramatically reinventing your business every single month, that’s not a smart move.
Through the pandemic, I have watched so many business owners get pivot-crazy—pivoting way too much! Completely new audience, new offer, new marketing plan, new website, every other second. This is so tiring, and puts you into a state where you are constantly rebuilding and reinventing, but never moving forward.
To succeed, you have to cultivate more “stickiness”—stick with your goal, stick with your plan, commit for awhile.
You need to present consistency and commitment to your clients. You don’t want to be yet another uncertain element in an already uncertain world. You want to be a person, and a company, that people can rely on.
How could you make your work, your company, even more committed, consistent, and reliable? Think on that.
Also, do you have a tendency to panic and reinvent everything—every couple of weeks? Stop that. Commit and work the plan.
Not matter what, remember this: You can navigate the road ahead. You can solve problems. You can find a way. You can make a lot of money. You can take care of yourself. Rain or snow, pandemic or not, you’ve got the GOLD inside of you.
Of this, you can be sure.
xo,
Rachel
PS. need some help with all that planning? I have an EPIC 4-part workshop for you. It’s called Plan Your Year Like A Millionaire. And I’m giving you access to this life-changing virtual workshop for FREE when you pre-order at least 4 copies of my book.
You’ll have a copy for yourself. 3 to give to friends, family, and clients. And a plan for your year- no matter what comes your way- that will be so big and exciting that you’ll surprise, thrill, and delight YOURSELF. Get all the details right here.
