With the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak around the world and a lot of nations doing their part to stop the spread, one thought kept coming to my mind. No, it wasn’t fear (although I’m scared), nor the angst (although there’re moments I’m anxious). It’s been HOPE.
All the stories I’ve heard about hope helping people survive through the nightmares of World War II came back to me. I’m Polish, so I’ve heard many of them. Not just from my beloved grandfather, who fought in the war but also at school, through movies or Sunday dinner conversations. WWII was an extreme event in our history, and yet it ended. The affected nations moved on to build prosperity that most of us can be grateful for today.
That’s how I know this outbreak will end very soon. Why? Because we’re peaceful, because as humans we’re coming together, and because we’re doing the right thing.
As a result of these thoughts came my inspiration to crack the HOPE code and write the blog. What is hope? Why is it so important for all but especially entrepreneurs? Read on and find out :).
Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. – Desmond Tutu
In simple words, hope allows us to see the possibility of a better future, and with that brings optimism that it will happen. But it’s not just that. Hope also gives us the desire to pursue that future, take steps towards achieving it. A pioneering psychologist who studied hope at the University of Kansas, Charles R. Snyder, Ph.D., developed a model of hope with 3 components: goals, agency (belief in our ability to shape our lives and motivation to do it), and pathways (plans to achieve our goals).
This model of hope applies to anything we do in life: wanting to lose weight, adopt a child, or grow our business. I’ve broken it down from the entrepreneurs’ point of view with a few quotes 😊.
May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears. – Nelson Mandela
I’m sure, at the beginning of this year, you’ve created and written down goals for your business. If those goals are aligned with the vision you have for yourself, they reflect your hopes. In other words, they reflect a better future you want for yourself and your family. Because your business is part of that future.
In the event, you haven’t set any business goals, or you didn’t think about aligning them with your vision, take the time you have and do it now. Your Vision is your Northstar. Let is guide every aspect of your life.
Hence, my free 4-video Clarity & Focus training can walk you step by step of how to do it for your business. You can click here and download it now.
There are always positives in any negative that happens to us. And one of the positives nowadays is that we do have more time. Our lives slowed down then we should make the best out of it.
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who had kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. – Dale Carnegie
The second component of hope is the agency: the drive and motivation to achieve the goals despite hurdles life throws on our way. It’s also the belief that we shape our future.
I think most entrepreneurs have such drive because it comes from our passion. Entrepreneurs create businesses out of nothing. Therefore, without the belief that the best is yet to come, without the motivation to keep going when the results are far from sight, none of us would build any business ever.
Moreover, this drive and passion allow entrepreneurs to be flexible and innovative when the environment changes. The vision and long-term goals might not change, but the way we achieve them has to as the circumstances around throw the curveballs at your plans.
Everything that is done in this world is done by hope. – Martin Luther King
Lastly, pathways. It’s hard to achieve a goal without a plan showing our brain how to get there. It’s like trying to open a 3-digit combination lock without the code. There are over 18,000 combination possibilities – so good luck, right 😊? Instead, when you have the code (a plan), it takes you so much faster to get where you want to be.
And going back to the point above, flexibility and ability to adapt to a changing environment are crucial in planning. At present, you can see that skill being used by entrepreneurs all around the world as the in-person events are canceled, and physical locations closed. Those who haven’t been online are moving to that medium now. They’re changing their plans, embracing their unknown. Such resilience and quick action to adapt to change is vital nowadays in building and growing a successful business.
Hope is a renewable option: If you run out of it at the end of the day, you get to start over in the morning. – Barbara Kingsolver
Before we part, I wanted to help you get more hope if you’re struggling right now. Intending to help female entrepreneurs adapt to the new reality and move online as much as possible, I created a FREE online 5-session training challenge on How to Find More Clients Online. I’ll be running it starting Sunday, March 29th, and all ladies are welcome 😊.
Here are your registration details for the Challenge:
Kick-Off – Sunday, March 29, 7:30 pm EST – Launch of the Challenge with the first key lesson and homework
DAY 1 – Monday, March 30, 7:30 pm EST – DREAM – We’ll be dreaming up your ideal client and you’ll find out why it’s so critical to know who that is.
DAY 2 – Tuesday, March 31, 7:30 pm EST – PLAN – This day is all about online marketing
DAY 3 – Wednesday, April 1, 7:30 pm EST – PLAN – Even though it’s April Fool’s Day – knowing how to sell in a way that feels natural to you is no joke 😉
DAY 4 – Thursday, April 2, 7:30 pm EST – DO – By the end of this session, you’ll be ready to go an apply what you’ve learned to find more clients online and get results!
If you register now, then you’ll get a bonus guide with 10 Instagram Hacks You Must Know About.
I’m super excited about it! I HOPE and know that it will help you grow your business even in such difficult times 😊. Embrace the unknown and join us!
