Why we need tenacity to shape our business

"Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity." Louis Pasteur 

Taking the consistent steps required to run a business, keep a house, or achieve a monumental goal, is something that requires persistence. Doing these steps with a strength of purpose, puts the right energy behind them that will ensure your success. This is the definition of Tenacity.

Tenacity is the theme that melds all innovators, entrepreneurs and problem solvers. If you want to rise to those heights, make this skill part of your identity.

Being able to self motivate is such an important part of running your own business, and in the face of many adversities, this can be a challenging task in itself. Self Motivation is what it takes to persevere with tenacity, and stretch yourself until you reach your goal. Scientists have found the source of motivation in successful people comes from neurotransmitters in the brain, and in specific, dopamine. I was excited to learn that motivated people have higher levels of dopamine, as it is something we all have the ability to influence.

A lack of dopamine in your system could be responsible for, fatigue, apathy, forgetfulness, insomnia, sugar cravings, and of course, low motivation. The great news is, there are simple things you can do to increase your dopamine naturally. To get the best out of your days, and start motivating yourself to reach that goal you have been dreaming of, dive into the 6 tips below. 

1. Increase Dopamine - Eat foods rich in tyrosine such as almonds, bananas, avocados, eggs, beans, fish and chicken. Exercise regularly, can be as little as 15 minutes per day, make the time to fit this in, and you will be surprised at your improved productivity. Finally, get yourself into good sleep patterns. For more information on improving your sleep, you can check out my article “Tired of counting Sheep”
2. Keep focused on your “WHY” - Earlier, I mentioned that tenacity is about taking action with a strength of purpose behind them. There are many ways you can train your brain to focus on the positive outcomes that you are striving for, one of my favourites is vision boards. They may sound childish, but they are great for people who are driven by visual stimulation, which is many of us. For those of you who prefer auditory measures, record your children playing, your favourite band, anything that anchors you back to what it is that made you start towards your goal in the first place.  
3. Make Income Producing Activities a non negotiable – These are the activities that get you noticed, increase your lead generation, and convert your prospects into clients. Marketing, Face to Face conversations, Follow up surveys, all of the activities that are working “on your business” rather than “in it”. Obviously completing your services to a high standard or delivering the products to your customers is important, but not at the expense of these income producing activities. Set time in your routine to regularly complete these important activities, and do not let any excuses get in the way. Prospecting is often an activity avoided by many, trust me, after over ten years in the Auto Industry, I know this is a fact. Make yourself one of the high performers by focusing on the one per-centers such as these tasks, and do it well.
4. Lean on your support network – Often we feel the weight of the responsibility of our business lands squarely on our own shoulders, and while this is true, it doesn’t mean we have to do it all without help. Delegating tasks among employees, asking for help from neighbours or friends when you need it, or even leaning on them when you are feeling down, and talking through your concerns. We all have people in our lives that we can rely on to help us when we need it most, sometimes the hardest part is putting up our hand and asking for it. It can be as simple as a neighbour taking the bins out, or a family member babysitting the children for a night, all of these little things add up. Just knowing people are there can be enough to lift the weight, and allow you to get back on track.
5. Remind yourself what is possible – We can focus on the fears that come up and let them drown us, preventing us from stepping forward and taking action. Sitting in our space of safety and comfort, letting procrastination and excuses be our saviours from all of those fears. Or we can focus on all of the possibilities that could become a reality if we just stick to our plan and keep taking action one day at a time. Who are we impacting? What positive changes are we making within the community? How will our life look in 5 years, if we are to succeed with the goal we are chasing today? You can write the answers to these questions, speak them out, or just imagine them, any acknowledgement towards the value of the work you are doing, is better than none at all. 

When all else fails, there are plenty of professional organisations that can step in and fill the gaps that are not your strengths, type your biggest challenge into google and see what comes up. 

I’m a Mum of two, who loves to help others to feel motivated and guide people with the right steps to achieve their goals. I started my own business doing what I love most, which is using my knowledge and experience to energise and empower others to achieve their best. Follow me on Instagram @sammylama_