Are you still singing “The Economy is Slow” Blues?

Over the last few days I have had several conversations with friends and clients about their businesses.

Many are thrilled with the fact business is picking up while others immediately go into, “The economy is still slow. That’s why my business isn’t picking up.”

For some, The Economy is Slow song may be one they have been singing for so long they don’t even realize how often they might be affirming this way of thinking.

The fact is, in many industries things are picking up. For some of us, we never felt a dip at all in the last year. Actually, there are some entrepreneurs who have had an increase in business rather than a decrease in 2009. How is this possible? Read on…

During a recent conversation one friend said, “I know you don’t like to admit it, but the economy is slow.”

My response? “I’m not going to have this conversation. I’m not going to engage any energy in that train of thought.”

We both laughed at my response (because she has heard the same response numerous times from me) and started in on another topic of conversation.
Is my refusal to engage in conversations about a slow economy denial or is it smart? It depends on who you ask. Believe me, there have been plenty of people are eager to “show me the error of my thinking.”

The fact is, my business has not felt a dip at all in the last year. Even during a time that I needed to take almost two months to attend to some personal concerns in our family. During the two month period I was working about 20% of my usual schedule. My priorities were with family, yet, my business continued to generate revenue.

Was it luck? Hardly.

I am a very firm believer (actually a firm knower) in the fact that what we focus on we get more of. It has been said, “Where our attention goes, energy flows.”

Rather than invest time and energy talking about how slow things are and asking why this is so, I choose to ask different questions.

Amazingly, others I have talked to who have not had a downtu
in their revenues are also asking different questions. Here is just a sampling.

“How can I continue to create massive value for my clients and customers?”

“What do I need to change in my business to keep up with changes occurring for my clients?

“What do I need to do to grow my business?”

“Am I being as productive as I need to be to grow my business?”

“Have I done all I can to keep my name in the forefront of current and potential clients?”

This truly is how my mind works. I ask questions that create a more resourceful state as do many people who continue to do well in their business.

I can assure you, these questions WILL put you in a much more resourceful state than, “Shoot, why is the economy so slow?”

The temptation for some is to do what comes naturally for so many. Rather than looking for solutions, they look for reasons why something isn’t working. Amazingly, many don’t even realize they are doing this.

I can just hear some people saying, “You don’t understand. In my industry…” Stop! Quit defending this worn out position.

I will be the first to admit there are things that have impacted the economy, but I also know that some people have thrived during the last year due to asking better questions. They have also thrived by surrounding themselves with colleagues, mentors and information that helps them continue to grow.

So which will it be? Will you be one who continues to affirm how slow things are? Or…. will you be one to ask, “What can I do to be of more value to my customers?”

If you are asking the more resourceful question, the next step is to get into action with a plan, vision, and implementation.