The Inner Game Advantage: Business Success with Confidence
Justin Shaw
Stone Fabricator Elite
Small business owners often face a high degree of pain and frustration in their entrepreneurial journey. In the stone industry, where nothing comes easy, this is compounded by the immense pressure and constant challenges we encounter. We find ourselves trapped in a chaotic business environment that stretches us thin, just like our margins. We struggle with a team that sometimes lacks the motivation we desire, while dealing with the roller coaster of fluctuating revenue, upset customers, and vendor delays. On top of all this, we have to take on many different roles and juggle countless responsibilities.
However, there is a path to calmer waters and smoother operations. The key lies in leveling up our inner game. By harnessing our mindset, beliefs, values, vision, and habits, we can inspire our team and achieve our ambitions. It is through understanding and mastering our inner game that we can navigate the challenges, find balance, and unlock the full potential of our business.
The journey may seem daunting, but by focusing on our inner game, we can transform our frustrations into opportunities for growth and success.
Success in business often depends on more than just external strategies and techniques. It also relies on our inner game – our mindset, beliefs, values, vision, and habits that influence our approach to entrepreneurship. Understanding and harnessing our inner game is essential for achieving long-term business success. Let’s dig into the main areas I have personally focused on over the years and have now included in my signature coaching program.
Mindset and Business Success
In business, the right mindset is crucial for our success. A growth mindset focuses on continuous improvement, embracing challenges, and putting in effort to acquire new abilities. It empowers us to achieve our goals.
On the other hand, a fixed mindset believes that abilities cannot be improved. Those with a fixed mindset avoid challenges and fear failure, leading to less achievement and a reluctance to learn.
Organizational cultures can also have growth or fixed mindsets. Growth mindset companies prioritize internal promotion, value passion and potential, invest in employee development, and encourage risk-taking.
High Performance Habits
One of the pillars of our inner game is developing high performance habits. These habits include getting clear on our values and purpose, managing our energy, maintaining focus and productivity, cultivating discipline, and constantly seeking ways to improve and sustain our game. By consistently practicing these habits, we can optimize our productivity, make better decisions, and achieve exceptional results in our business endeavors. High performance habits also involve effective communication, continuous learning, and proactive problem-solving, all of which contribute to our overall success as entrepreneurs.
Time Management
We have found that this is one of the most significant constraints entrepreneurs face — inability to own our time. For owners of countertop companies, this constraint is especially amplified. There is simply a massive amount of oversight, and there isn’t enough time spent on initiatives that will impact growth.
As the saying goes, “Show me our calendar and I’ll show you our priorities.”
Effective time management is vital for business success. It involves prioritizing tasks, setting realistic deadlines, and optimizing our workflow. By mastering time management techniques, such as the Pomodoro Technique or Eisenhower Matrix, we can enhance our productivity, minimize procrastination, and make the most of each day. Managing our time efficiently allows us to focus on high-value tasks, delegate effectively, and allocate resources wisely, leading to increased efficiency and success. Furthermore, effective time management enables us to strike a balance between work and personal life, reducing stress and increasing overall well-being.
Beliefs and Motivations
Our beliefs, both empowering and limiting, have a big impact on our actions and decisions as entrepreneurs. It’s important to identify and align these beliefs with our business goals and purpose to gain clarity and stay motivated. By understanding what truly motivates us and challenging any beliefs that hold us back, we can make choices that are in line with our vision and make a meaningful impact. Developing a strong sense of purpose and aligning it with our business activities can fuel our passion and drive sustainable growth. Also, creating a culture within our organization that reflects our beliefs can attract like-minded employees and create a positive work environment.
Awareness & Reflection
Developing self-awareness and practicing reflection are essential components of our inner game. Regularly assessing our strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement allows us to make informed decisions and grow as entrepreneurs. Reflection also helps us gain valuable insights from our experiences, enabling us to refine our strategies and approaches. Cultivating mindfulness and being present in the moment can enhance our ability to adapt to changing circumstances and make well-informed business decisions. It can be helpful to get feedback from trusted mentors or peers who can provide valuable perspectives and help us uncover blind spots.
Community and Coaching
Building a supportive community and seeking guidance through coaching can greatly contribute to our business success. Surrounding ourselves with like-minded individuals who share similar aspirations and challenges allows for collaboration, networking, and knowledge sharing. Additionally, working with a coach or mentor provides valuable guidance, accountability, and an outside perspective that can help us navigate obstacles and accelerate our growth. Engaging in mastermind groups, attending industry conferences, and participating in networking events can expand our inner circle and provide valuable insights and connections. I find that being part of a community of entrepreneurs can provide emotional support, motivation, and inspiration during challenging times. Just be sure you pick a good one! The wrong ones can do more harm than good.
We’d Love to Hear From You
We love jamming on the topic of unlocking our inner game for business success, and we believe that there is so much we can learn from each other. We would love to hear from you about how you work on your inner game and what strategies you have found to be effective in your entrepreneurial journey. Share your experiences, insights, and tips with us by sending the author a message at justin@justinxshaw.com.
About the author: Justin Shaw is the Founder & CEO of Stone Fabricator Elite. He has also launched a signature coaching program under his personal brand, offering trade professionals the opportunity to access his training and coaching to build a business by design, rather than by default. His aim is to help them achieve sustainable growth, unlock more profit and lifestyle freedom through both coaching for business and personal growth.
You can find more information about his programs at stonefabricatorelite.com or justinxshaw.com .