Do you ride the struggle bus?

Operating a successful business and living a fulfilling life CAN be easy, however even with the best laid plans- challenges are inevitable. How you handle those challenges determines whether you continue strolling along easy street or jump on the struggle bus.

Today, I want to talk to you about what you can do when challenges come your way, in both your business and your life.

Because once you have a more empowering way to see and experience challenges, you'll no longer fear or run from them in the future. You'll have the confidence to face challenges head-on, create a positive way forward and see every challenge as purposeful, in the big picture of your human journey.

First, vocabulary:

Like all the stuff I love to talk about, I have certain vocabulary words I use. Sharing these words enables you and I to speak the same language.

I call challenges "challenges," but I also call them "kerfuffles" (because my friend Brian once used that term, and I thought it was a helluva lot more playful than challenges or problems). My other friend Steve calls challenges "opportunities," which was always a humorous word choice to use in very stressful situations (like installing huge weddings in a limited time frame).

In business specifically, I refer to challenges as "issues." This is a term I learned about in Traction by Gino Wickman, my #1 favorite business book. This short YouTube video explains what Issues are in the Entrepreneurial Operating System that Traction teaches. 

Issues are the obstacles, challenges, and problems that disrupt a rhythmic flow or impede forward movement in your Business. Issues include operational inefficiencies, poor employee performance, financial difficulties, product quality or customer dissatisfaction. ALL Businesses have Issues, but MOST Businesses either sweep their Issues under the rug (ignore them) OR spend the majority of their meeting time talking about Issues (going off on tangents) and never actually solving Issues (which is an Issue, in itself). Both identifying and solving your Issues is critical to experiencing long-term success and EASE in your Business.

In life, I refer to challenges as "contrast." (you can use this interchangeably with business, too) This is a term I learned about from Esther Hicks and the Laws of Abraham, one of my favorite personal growth books. This short YouTube video explains what contrast is, in relation to the law of attraction. 

Contrast is the yuck-ness, ugliness and struggle you see and face in life that causes an emotional reaction/response. Contrast can take the form of a stranger who cuts you off in traffic, a neighbor who treats you poorly, a number on the weight scale or a row of dead plants in your flowerbed. Contrast is not bad, it's purposeful, as it shows you what you do and do not want outta life. Everyone experiences Contrast, but MOST people see it as happening TO them, not FOR them, so they get angry and reactive. When you can learn to see Contrast as purposeful, you can allow it, create a better way forward and live in a state of flow (vs. live in a state of reactivity and resistance).

Now that we're speaking the same language, what can you do when challenges come your way?

In your Business:

• Create an Issues List: Start with a brain dump. Write down every issue you can think of, in every department/area. Don’t filter or judge, just get it all out.
• Once you have everything on paper, select the top 3 Issues that need to be solved. Ask, “Which of these, if cleared or solved, would make the biggest difference?”
• Next, identify the root of the Issue. Is it a systems issue or a people issue?
• Discuss potential solutions, as a Team. Consider all possible ideas, without judgment.
• Once the discussion becomes repetitive or a solution is clear, outline and assign action steps to solve the Issue.
• Hold your Team accountable to the actions and follow-up, to solve the Issue for good and for the good of the company.

Solving Issues in your Business enables you to:

• Improve your systems and processes
• Operate more smoothly and efficiently
• Improve Team performance, productivity and accountability
• Delegate with confidence and trust in your Team
• Achieve your strategic goals sooner
• And ultimately, lead from a higher level and enjoy more freedom!

For all these reasons (and so many more), solving Issues is vital to strengthening your Business Foundation so that you can operate a rock-solid, well-oiled machine of a business.

In your Life:

Follow The Path to Pause- a system I created to help you fully process challenging situations, so you can move forward to creating positive, sustainable change. (that underlined part is a clickable link) 

• Pause: Pause, note and notice that you're experiencing a challenging situation.
• Acknowledge: Acknowledge the specific challenge you're facing and name it as "contrast."
• Unravel: Unravel the contrast and identify what outcome would've been more ideal.
• Seek: Seek an objective view of your situation, so you can respond effectively.
• Empower: Process the situation, outline actions to move forward, then reflect on lessons learned to empower yourself to make better decision & minimize kerfuffles in the future.

Allowing & fully processing Contrast in your life allows you to:

• Clarify your preferences and desires
• Embrace a more objective view of reality
• Become more responsive and less reactive
• Take action towards what you do want
• Cope with challenges more effectively (and playfully)
• And ultimately, adopt a creator mindset, where you can see challenges as purposeful experiences  meant to teach you valuable life lessons!

For all these reasons (and so many more), allowing and fully processing contrast in your life is vital to strengthening your Personal Foundation so you can live a more satisfying and fulfilling life- life in flow!

Real-Talk Conclusion

Operating a business and living life isn't always gonna be challenge-free. Both are dynamic, evolving, and sometimes, downright messy experiences. However within that mess, there’s immense value in identifying what’s not working— whether it’s an issue in your business or a contrast in your life.

By shining a light on this new way of seeing and solving your challenges, you pave the way to a clearer, more focused, and ultimately more fulfilling experience, where you can stroll on a road called Easy Street.