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All entrepreneurs and small business owners experience breakdowns in our lives and work. Breakdowns are not an end in themselves. They are symptoms that something in our lives is not working; that we are not paying attention. If we view breakdowns as learning opportunities, we can shift from paralysis into action. Here’s how...

1. Pay attention!
Sometimes breakdowns occur because our attention is diverted elsewhere. Become aware of where your attention is best placed at any given time in order to optimize your energy and results.

2. Create a blueprint and follow it.
In creating a plan, we begin to see where the weak links are. We can then prepare for those obstacles and either avoid them or minimize their impact. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

3. Focus.
Typical of our lifestyles is “multi-tasking.” Too often that means doing a lot of things well but without excellence in any one thing. Get clear on your limitations around how much you can actually handle effectively. Delegate the rest or schedule appropriately.

4. Respond not react.
Taking focused time on a regular basis allows us to create successful outcomes on purpose and to foresee potential breakdowns. We can then shift from reacting to breakdowns to responding to change.

5. Communicate.
Many breakdowns are due to miscommunication between people or groups of people. Watch your language; say what you mean clearly and with integrity. Develop your listening skills. Be open to multiple communication styles. Thiswill decrease the chances of miscommunications. As Anthony Robbins says, “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”

 

 

6. Center.
When we are centered we are open to listening to our own wisdom as well as to others. This allows for decision-making aligned with our personal and business integrity. When we are centered, we become the eye in the storm, less prone to emotional reactions and better able to make informed decisions.

7. Notice shifts.
Often breakdowns signal that it is time to change something. Or what might be happening is that we have already begun a shift or transition, but we haven’t quite caught up to ourselves. Check in with yourself and your staff regularly so you are not caught by surprise.

8. Learn.
Within each breakdown is an opportunity to LEARN. Discover the positive and make sure you use that knowledge to smooth out the future.

9. Re-evaluate.
Breakdowns can illustrate that our past success strategies may no longer be working for our changing environment. Evaluate where you are or where your business is now. Re-work your strategies to reflect new goals or a new environment.