Believe: my word for 2020

It’s that time of year!

So many of you choose your own words for the year these days, and I loooooove hearing about them.

It’s also a delight to reflect on not only the past 12 months but the last few years, the journey of words I’ve been on.

Anyway, I thought I’d share a little reflection on last year (my word was grow), as well as introducing my word for 2020: believe.

Growing in 2019

In 2019, I wanted to grow: my business, my belly, my family, my integrity. You can read about my intentions here.

And I did grow, in lots of ways. I grew a tiny human. I grew in confidence, and I certainly grew in clarity. Something about becoming a mother has made me very clear on what I’m doing and what there isn’t room for, which is honestly pretty amazing.

This was part of growing in 2019! Taken by @girl_behindthelens in June 2019.

What I couldn’t anticipate is how much 2019 would show me the depth of my own resilience. A lot happened in 2019, including a lot of hospital visits, and that required a lot of strength – strength I didn’t really know I had.

From a business point of view, I knew it would be challenging to grow my business in a profit / turnover sense while taking maternity leave. So my expectations weren’t exactly huge from that point of view. But I did grow my client list in the first half of the year, which is a key growth indicator for me: I want to help people in their businesses, and I did just that.

I still think about feeling good, feeling bad and feeling right in an atmosphere of growth. This phrase from Gretchen Rubin has really stuck with me, and I’m not done with the concept of growth at all. I think that’s one of the magic things about choosing a word: they stay with you beyond the year.

2020: the year of believe

Our beliefs influence our actions, consciously and unconsciously.

If I’ve learnt anything over the last few years, it’s that what we believe has a significant impact on what we achieve, how we feel and how we think about ourselves and our work.

This year, I’m ready to review and redefine my beliefs. I want to work in a way that’s aligned with what I truly believe, and I want to weed out some of the unhealthy beliefs that hold me back.

I want to do work that I really believe in. I want to share my beliefs openly, honestly, so that they reach the people who will find solace, inspiration, support in them.

And, at the simplest level, I want to believe in myself. I could do with some specific care in this area, especially as I shift into balancing work and motherhood.

I’ve started asking myself big questions, like “What do I believe in?”, “What do I believe about money, work, motherhood, creativity?” and “How would my to do list change if I believed in myself fully?”

And I’m loving getting started…

Using radical honesty to support this journey

While I was reflecting on the year past and the year ahead, the concept of radical honesty came springing out.

I think I have to be radically honest with myself, so that I can get to the bottom of my beliefs.

And I have to be radically honest about my beliefs and, well, pretty much everything as I get back into work, back into being The Jenny Pace.

It does feel a bit edgy. And to be clear, it’s not that I haven’t been honest in the past. It’s more like another stripping away of the layers that I might have been holding on to.

How’s your year (and word) going?

Have you chosen a word? Or made a resolution? Or set an intention? How’s it feeling to you?

I’d love to hear!

Until soon,

Jenny x

PS If you’d like to get blogs via email each week, you can sign up here.

PPS I have two coaching-mentoring spots available right now, for three or six sessions. Read more here and get in touch if you’d like support creating and achieving your business goals in 2020.

Your summer reading list for your business

I’m a big reader, and I often turn to books to clear my head as well as to learn, especially when it comes to business. I’ve put together a summer reading list for your business, made up of the books I’ve recommended to clients this year.

Whether you’re in need of some money miracles, self-belief, or a change of pace, these books have all helped me and my clients to make progress in our businesses.

Note: some of the links below are affiliates, so I may get a small payment if you buy through these links. I only recommend books I genuinely love.

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

This is a fascinating re-think on how to structure the finances of your business. If you’ve taken Pricing for Profit and got your product prices in order, this book is a great way to take your business to the next level.

It’s a book about putting sustainability first, rather than hoping you’ll make money at the end of the year.

You can get the first couple of chapters for free here, as well as ordering the whole book below.

Dare To Lead by Brene Brown

I have been recommending Brene Brown on this blog for five years. Her work and her writing have changed my life and business in so many ways.

Her latest book, Dare To Lead, is great for business owners, influencers, people managers, and parents. It’s an inspiring and practical book that will have you thinking differently about how you step up in the roles you have in your life.

Do Less by Kate Northrup

Need a realistic view on how to sort out your time management? This is the book for you. Especially if you are a business owner and a parent.

Overcoming Underearning by Barbara Stanny

If you have consistently under-earned in your life – and you’re ready to change that fact – this is a fabulous book. It’s more about your money beliefs and experiences than a set formula to earn more, but you’ll find there are plenty of practical, actionable steps to change your relationship with money.

Enjoy your summer reads! Do you have a favourite book of 2019? Let me know!

Here’s the thing: your sales aren’t shit

First, excuse the language, if it’s not the wording you’d use.

But perhaps you’ve said something like that? “Sales are so bad.” Even if it’s just in your head, if you’ve repeated a phrase similar to this more than three times, we need to talk.

I’ve heard it hundreds – if not thousands – of times from clients who are pretty low on energy, looking for a magic answer or at least some kind of good news. And, truthfully, I’ve been there, too.

I’m not one to sugar-coat things. I don’t like spiritual bypassing or anything similar. (“It’s not that bad! Just look on the bright side!” No, thanks.)

But this is where self-discovery and self-development are incredibly useful. Using awareness of what’s going on in our brains, we can change the story, and change the situation.

Here’s what I mean:

You’ve looked at a number, or several numbers, and something in your brain has said, “Sales are shit.” It’s such a clear and powerful message that you may have questioned it briefly, but it’s basically taken hold.

Then, because it’s not a great feeling, you’ve told someone else. “Sales are kind of shit.” And this person tells you they’re sorry to hear it, or that they’re in a similar position, and you feel not alone. Which feels better than sales-are-shit-and-I’m-all-alone.

So the mantra takes further hold.

And then when you sit down to write a to-do list or you’re thinking about your business, your brain is thinking from this “sales are shit” place. You feel desperate, or uninspired – both sides of the same coin. Maybe you have that frantic energy: you’re getting a lot done, but it’s not really changing sales or changing your mind. Or maybe you just… don’t do very much, because it all feels overwhelming and out of your control.

This story – one that you decided on in the blink of an eye based on something that isn’t the full picture – has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Want to get out of the downward spiral? There are three essential things to do.

Check the numbers you’re looking at.

If you decided sales are shit based on a two-second glance at a dashboard that doesn’t take your entire business into account, you absolutely need to dive a bit deeper.

If sales are down, you’re likely to be looking at turnover, rather than profit. Which is a false success metric, and is definitely going to give you misinformation about your business and your efforts. Track and look at profit as a marker of where you are, rather than assuming turnover is the same – broadly – as profit. (My business is way down on turnover compared to a couple of years ago, but my profit is significantly higher.)

Check the language you use. Clarity is power.

Okay, so as I said, I’m not one to sugar-coat the truth. Telling yourself things are fine when they’re not won’t help you to improve your business or your situation. We need truth. We need clarity.

But there are ways to phrase things that honour the truth without getting stuck in a story.

First, let’s get the facts. If you’ve looked at the numbers, you’ll hopefully be able to say something like, “My turnover is 30% down on last year.” Or, “My profit has dropped.”

Then there’s something to add…

“My profit has dropped, and I’d like to change that.”

“My turnover is 30% down on last year, and my profit is, too. I’m ready to improve my profit.”

Sticking with true statements, we want one that expresses something true about the situation. You’ve got a fact statement about the numbers, and then it’s best to add something that shares what you want to change. In a positive way, of course!

Get a new game plan.

With a more positive mantra, like, “I’m ready to improve my profit,” you can start to put together a more proactive game plan.

The thing about the “sales are shit” mantra is that it keeps you stuck. You can also get stuck with a positive mantra (even if it’s amazing), if there’s no action that relates to it.

So if you truly are ready to change your profit levels or improve your enjoyment levels, it’s time to get creative about how you want to do that.

I’m pretty clear on something: most business women I know can come up with 3-10 great actions to take if they have half an hour and a positive environment to picture possibilities.

Maybe it’s creative ways to reduce your costs and streamline things. Maybe you can create a more efficient way of fulfilling orders. Maybe (and I say this with many years of experience) you need to put your prices up.

You don’t have to change your entire business overnight. But find a starting place. The second part of your new mantra should encapsulate the way you want to feel, say, a year from now.

When you write your next to do list, include something that is linked to how you want to feel.

What do you think? Does this method resonate with you?

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Enter The Forge

Life's too damn short to chase someone else's definition of success. I'm here to give you the courage and tools to forge your own path.