I wrote earlier today about how our bodies can sometimes have minds of their own (so to speak) and that even if we are trying to stay focused on work, we can have physical reactions and responses to stresses and realities in the work place. As home business owners, we really do have a great deal of control over our work life, but we might forget that we also get to choose how we interpret the things that happen (what people say and do, for example) in the every day workings of our businesses.
I am not talking about burying our heads in the sand or living in a perpetual state of denial here, but we can choose to interpret things with a more positive spin or a negative one. For example, let us say that you have made a pitch to a prospective client and are waiting for a response. If the individual or company does not respond within the first few hours, you can choose to think that means “bad news” or you can take the approach that they have other things to attend to and will contact you as soon as they have made their decision. You can see how taking the latter approach might not only be better for one’s piece of mind, but it might also help you to make more professional decisions. If you assume the worst, you might not want to follow up or contact the prospect in a day or so for any feedback. The negative thoughts could also affect how you are dealing with other aspects of your businesses. Interpreting things in a more positive light, however, can help you to stay energized and focused and not end up in a spiral of self-doubt.
It may not seem like it, but we have a choice in how we interpret everything from economic reports to individual customer and client comments. While we do need to face facts and deal with reality in our home businesses, we do not have to assume the worst (which can also be a way of NOT dealing with reality) and we can choose our responses depending on how we are interpreting what is actually happening.
Also: It Can Be Hard Not Knowing
We Cannot Make People Do What We Want