Do you ever go to exhibitions or conferences, and end up coming home with every free cup, mousemat, stress ball and pack of candies? Of course you did - in fact it is not unusual to end up with one of the free bags given out in order to carry the things that you pick up from every stall. But how many do you use? How many stay in the bag because you actually have no use for it? You got it because it was free and well, why not? Online goodies are also on the rise - free courses, workshops, and downloads. All it takes is your email address. And you may be tempted to sign up for all of it - because well, why not? But take a step back before you give your email address away too freely. First, almost every free pack you will be given is a way to get your email address for further promotions. Some of it may be useful, but most will end up in spam with you forgetting how they got your email address in the first place. Second, it can feel really empowering to give yourself a goal of completing lots of programs and workshops that are going to help you take your business to the next level. But it can also become the items on your to do list that just sit in judgement on you, knowing you will never do them. For the sake of your to do list and inbox, think strategically about what help you really need this year. Where is your focus? What will take your business to the next level? Research a number of free offerings before selecting one. Just one. Then schedule the time to complete the course into your calendar. Don't just promise yourself to get it done - commit to it. Your business won't improve through a list of courses you signed up to just because they were free. Just as much as your desk really doesn't need a mountain of stress balls.

It's okay that some days, you're just not feeling positive about your business. It happens - the resilience you need to keep running a business is pretty intense. The issue comes when you are struggling to get your optimism up for long periods of time - again, it might be that you are struggling with difficult market conditions, or you are using up all of your positivity on other areas of your life (perish the thought you do other things as well!) But you know the difference between feeling particularly energetically low and that more persistent feeling that what you are doing is no longer the right thing. You can see the path has changed, but not where it is now going. I have got you. Never be worried about changing your path if the one you are currently on doesn't light your fire any more.

The most effective ways to tackle self-doubt is to stop. STOP: The negativity. If you feel like you’re not good enough then work to actively silence negative thoughts and feelings. Focus on the positives of the situation instead. If you’re not sure how to do something then remember that it’s a chance to learn. Overworking. Make sure that you’re taking time to relax and take a step back from your work every now and then. This can make all the difference to your perspective. Going it alone. If you need help then ask for it. It doesn’t make you weak and if you have a strong support system around you then why wouldn’t you use it? One of my favourite things about my job is when someone has that ‘a-ha’ moment. When they start to remember that they’re capable of doing amazing things and that the only thing holding them back is themself. Sound good? Drop me a message and let’s see how we can transform your mindset.