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I coach a lot of business owners. It’s what I do. People often think of me as a speaker and speaking coach, but first and foremost, I’m a business coach. I help people with all aspects of starting and running a successful service-based business.

And it’s not just the how–to’s. We go deeper than that, often focusing on those intangible elements that can separate those who make it from those who either struggle or simply don’t make it.

Two of the biggest separators?

Rigor and Resilience … or lack thereof.

Rigor’s all about bringing your “A” game to the table, doing whatever you do scrupulously well, while adhering to the highest standards of customer service and personal integrity.

Do we all come up short of perfection? Of course. We’re human. But it’s not about achieving perfection. It’s about striving for excellence.

Look, the quality of your work is something you can control, and you really want to. For two big reasons:

Your work represents you. Your reputation’s on the line. And frankly, I see a lot of business owners who are coming up short in the quality department.

AND there’s a whole lot that goes on in life and business you can’t control.

And that’s where resilience comes in.

I don’t care who you are, life’s gonna throw you some curve balls, and how you handle them, how you bounce back when things don’t go your way, makes all the difference.

Now, this isn’t a twist on, “Winners never quit. Quitters never win.”

It isn’t a contest, a simple measure of how determined you are. It’s about believing that, “Things always work out for me,” so you’re able take things in stride and keep moving forward.

Is it true? Do things always work out for you, as in, does everything always go the way you hoped it would … the way you planned … the way you expected? Of course not.

But the people who are resilient see any setbacks as temporary, which allows them to focus on the solution, rather than the problem. Contrast that with seeing yourself as a victim and arguing for your limitations. Never a good idea. It’s paralyzing … but it’s easy to go there.

Now, truth is, some people are just born more resilient than others. They believe that as long as they can stay in the game, hold the vision, remain committed, and roll with the punches, they’ll get what they’re after. Good for them.

But that begs the question, can you do anything to make yourself more resilient if you aren’t born that way?

I think two things make the biggest difference in your ability to “take a lickin’ and keep on tickin.”

One is mental, the other physical.

Quiz time: The difficulties and challenges we face are opportunities for learning and growth. True or false?

It’s true. It’s true. And even if it isn’t, and the universe is just torturing you by throwing rotten apples at you, you’re better off believing it’s true! Because, honestly, that’s the only way you can keep going.

On the physical side, do you have the emotional balance and reserve energy capacity to deal with the madness … or are your adrenal glands shot? Are you stressed out and maxxed out?

And what’s the solution if you have an empty tank? Eat right, get enough sleep, exercise, etc.? Sure. That’s the obvious stuff.

The not so obvious is that you have to find a way to shut ‘er down on a regular basis … to really relax and clear your mind … to have your parasympathetic nervous system take over from the go-go “beta state” we spend so much time in, so it can repair and recharge.

How? Many folks meditate or do yoga. I’ve mentioned Holosync and Hemisync before. Holosync is what works best for me. But here’s the thing. You have to do something. Because staying stressed with no relief = burnout … and maybe worse.

I like this equation better:

Rigor + Resilience = Success.

Best Wishes,
Denise

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