Enterprising Women

Reinvention – It Starts with Changing Yourself

BY SHONDA SCOTT

[as originally published in Enterprising Women Magazine]

Just as the lyrics to the song that was made popular by Quincy Jones goes “Everything Must Change,” yes, indeed everything must change. We accept that the seasons change, fashions change and even cars change. But one mention of changing one’s self and the anxiety turns into fear, causing a feeling of mental paralysis that takes over your whole disposition.

For some reason the last thing most people want to do is change. But changing self is often the most important thing for us and the only thing we have control over. For those of us who are self-employed, changing self is sometimes more challenging than starting the business itself. As the employer, you feel as if you are the master of your universe: you re-engineer change for your company, hire and fire staff in the name of change- management. Yet you often miss the most pivotal change, which comes with changing self. If there is an adjustment to be made because something is going wrong or perhaps not as right as you’d like, guess what is the first thing that needs to change? That’s right, the answer is YOU.

In life, and in business, if you want things to change you must start with the person you see every day in the mirror. It doesn’t have to be drastic, it can be as subtle as changing how you see things. Often we overlook the little things in our lives as we wait for the big life altering, monumental shifts. We stop taking time to be grateful for the simple things like being able to continuously make payroll, for example, which has a huge impact on the lives of those who work for your company.

Being an employer means you have created an environment that enables others to thrive. You may do it with ease but this is no small feat. According to the National Women’s Business Council, there are 9.8 million women-owned businesses in the United States, and only 10.5% of those firms employ people other than themselves. Thus, you are in the top 10% if you have to meet a payroll. Now how does it feel that something you do so effortlessly is only being accomplished by 10% of your peers? Celebrating one’s accomplishments as the head of their own business also can be the impetus for continued change.

Reinventing yourself is not just about changing when things are going wrong, it is about always evolving to create opportunities that can expand yourself and your business far beyond you can imagine. If you have been doing the same thing for the past five years, good or bad, it is time to change. If you have been doing the same routine, workout, regime in business or otherwise for the past five years, do something different. It can start with something minor like instead of taking the elevator every day, take the stairs. If you usually go to sleep on your business flights, on your next trip remain awake and take the time to meet the person sitting next to you. Your next business partner or a new friend might be sharing an armrest with you.

Recently, to avoid traffic and shorten my commute, I started taking the scenic route into the office. A simple route change allowed me to take time to appreciate the rolling hills and beautiful bay views, which I missed during my bumper to bumper freeway commute. Also, I now use my drive time to listen to inspirational messages instead of music or morning radio shows. Not only has this shift in my commute allowed me to arrive at my office feeling refreshed, inspired and less stressed, it has given me the chance to ponder new ideas for my business that have manifested additional revenue streams...