In the pursuit of business activities, it is easy to lose sight of things that matter. You see, many people end up consumed with making money that their lives become unbalanced. Here is something simple yet so profound – you are first of all a person before anything else. Before being a business person, an entrepreneur, and so on, you are a person. Your state of being as a person has great implications on your success in business. This is a conversation people do not usually have but it is pertinent. Balance is vital in everything; that is why I thought that today I must discuss it.

Sources Of Information

Anyone’s beliefs, convictions or just basic understanding of the world is based on what one sees or hears. Often many of you are oblivious to how important the sources of your information are. What is it that you watch or listen to? We all watch movies, series; listen to radio, music, watch videos, and so on. Do you have any idea how those things shape your way of thinking? Are you being deliberate about what you watch or listen to?

These are some of the questions you must ruthlessly ask and answer. It really is about what you put in because that is what you will get out – if it is garbage in, it is garbage out. That is why you must deliberately inundate yourself with material that enhances your knowledge and skillset concerning your area of business specialization. I wish I could delve into how your subconscious mind works to take this point further but it is a lengthy subject on its own. Just know that your sources of information program your subconscious mind and subsequently affect your conscious decisions.

Social Circle

This is closely tied into sources of information as well but it goes beyond that. There are so many variables to explore here; we can start with family. Do you have enough time for family and are you in good books? Are you cultivating good and healthy relationships with them? So many people get into business and ruin their families or their families ruin their businesses. Who are your friends? By friends, I mean friends in the truest sense of the word. Personally, I have always felt that if you have more than 3 people you call friends, chances are most of them are not really friends. People tend to use the term loosely and end up being destroyed by ‘friends’ because they trusted people they had no business trusting.

It is also a known fact that relatives tend to be problematic. At times it is best to keep most of them at arm’s length or out of the picture. Then we also have colleagues, neighbours, and so on – the list is vast. You must periodically assess and review your social circle. Do not be open and accessible to just anyone; rather have a personal filter system that keeps you in touch with people who contribute value to you and bring out the best in you.

Mindset

When you put sources of information and social circle together we get to mindset. Chances are sky-high we can always trace your mindset to those two areas. What is your mindset on – that is mindset. Your results and experiences in business are premised on your mindset. You can try out everything about a thing but if your mindset regarding it is not in sync with your intended outcome it will not happen. The good thing about a mindset is that you can work on it. It is simple really – shape it into the shape and form of the business success you want to see. That is why what you watch, what you listen to, and who you interact with and how are pivotal to your mindset.

As a man thinks in his heart so is he – that is a universal truth whether you believe it or not. What kind of business person or entrepreneur do you want to be? It all starts from your mindset. You have to daily, actively and consciously re-engineer your mind into the right mindset. I say so because since birth and throughout the course of your life you are constantly bombarded with experiences that create a limited or limiting mindset. Thus you must always be in the perpetual process of learning, unlearning and repeating the cycle.

Words

Then we get to words; this refers to what you say i.e. every time you open your mouth. I can tell you for a fact that the consciousness that what you say wields power is the missing ingredient in many people’s lives. This is a very interesting subject to me and I look at it at length in a book I am currently writing. You often hear people saying, what you see is what you get right? That is a loaded statement by the way, anyways, what you say is what you get too. Learn to be particular about what you say, it does take practice.

Do not just say things; say things that are or are in line with what you want to achieve or experience. As I like to put it, put an unapologetically hefty premium on your thoughts and words. The mistake people often do is to say things based on current seemingly validated experiences. A simple statement like ‘it is hard to get customers’ can characterise your business experience no matter what else you do. Learn to not just speak positive but speak in synch with your desired experience or outcome, always, despite what the present experiences or circumstances might be communicating. It sounds foolish but it is a solid principle!

This discussion is not complete without talking about diet and the body. You must take care of your physical body otherwise all else will not matter. Eat healthy foods and exercise regularly even it is just taking a walk. Take time to rest and manage your emotions well lest you strain your body.