Psychology of Success: What Can Business Owners Learn from Christmas?

As we approach the final week of wrapping up another year we will soon (if not already) assess how well we did in achieving our business goals. If you hit a home run this year in your business, it’s not hard to be joyful in this season of Christmas. However, if these last twelve months reflected nothing more than a disappointing series of strike outs, I know it’s pretty tough to feel joyful even during this holiday season.

If that’s you, here’s where the psychology of success matters now more than ever. In fact, Christmas can teach us a critical lesson on that psychology of success.

For many people who celebrate Christmas, it’’s easy to get sucked into the frenzy of holiday shopping and the added “countdown to Christmas to-do’s.”

Christmas for us is a special and sacred holiday where my family and I celebrate and rejoice in the birth of Jesus Christ. In thinking about how important my faith in Christ is, it struck me the parallels of how important a role faith plays in growing our businesses.

There are external factors that influence our success (like good planning). But, there are also internal factors that will equally influence our success. The internal factor lives between your two ears, and it’s called FAITH.

What is the definition of faith?

Well, the bible has a great definition that applies just as powerfully to business as well.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” – Hebrews 11: 1

“We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

Another great definition of faith is “belief without evidence”.

So, when it comes to your business success how strong is your faith?

Do you set big goals, but deep inside you really doubt that you will achieve them? If you believe you will only achieve a similar result from what you have already achieved in the past then, right now you are an entrepreneur of little faith — or as Jesus Christ has said, “oh ye of little faith”

Be encouraged with the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters to what lies within us.”

So, my head-check challenge for you this week is this:

As you set (and write) the goals you want to achieve in your business for the new year ask yourself:

- Do you truly believe you will achieve it?

- Do you believe in your business?

- Do you believe in what you’re about?

- Do you believe in what you have to offer?

- Do you believe customers will buy what you have to offer?

- Do you believe in yourself?
- Do you believe you can improve your skills, your thoughts, your habits?

On a scale of 1-10 how strong is your belief in all of these areas? … How big is your faith? My message of the importance of faith does not mean there is no place for planning.

For Proverbs 21:5 also says, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

Here’s an example from my own foibles that show the importance of both planning and belief.

Fifteen years ago I created a business plan to start my 2nd company — a large performing arts center. I went to the bank to apply for a loan and I was shocked to find out I was turned down. I will never forget what that loan officer said to me. Her name was Karen and she took the time to compliment me on what a well done business plan I had created. She said it was one of the best business plans she had seen in her loan applications.

“Great! So, why are you turning me down?” I asked perplexed.

Karen pointed out that I was not investing any of my own money into this new company, which she could see I had liquid with her bank.

“Well, I would rather spend your money than my money.” I smartly replied.

But, really the smartest reply came from Karen who simply asked me,

“Well, if you’re not willing to invest your own money then how are we (as your bank) to believe that you believe this new business will succeed?”

Ah, …. that was all I needed to wake me up to see that my behavior reflected poorly on my belief. And, so I did change gears and I put my own money into the new business launch (which thankfully, grew rapidly and I eventually sold 10 yrs later)

So, what might you be doing that reflects your own limiting belief?

Perhaps you want to grow your business, but you’re afraid to invest the money to hire that assistant you know you could really use. So, instead you keep clogging up your valuable time buried in administrivia and frustrated that you just can’t seem to get to the more important stuff.

Perhaps you know you should work on improving your skills to learn how to better run a business, but you’re holding back on making that investment in yourself until you see the evidence of extra money coming in.

If you can relate to either of those situations yes, it is scary to step out into the unknown. But, that’s what the life of an Entrepreneur is all about.

If that’s you, then I encourage you to let your FAITH be bigger than your FEARS.

And, if you’d rather have a safety net as you step out into new actions to help you hit a home run these next twelve months, that’s what I’m here for. My purpose is to serve as your safety net and as your guide, so you can accelerate your business growth faster, easier and safer than tackling it alone.