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5 Steps To Building A Can-Do Attitude
1. When you hear yourself say you can't do something, stop!
Resist going down this path – it's a one way street to lowered confidence and demotivation. Just telling yourself loudly to stop can work wonders. Remember, it's a habit – and it can be broken.
2. Develop a problem solving mind-set
Look beyond the "can't" to the reason why - for my client Diana, the big issue with cold calling to promote her business was that she found it hard to call people she didn't know; she couldn't relax or engage with them because she didn't have a true interest in them.
3. With the problem in mind, focus on what you can do about it
Find ways to use what you’re good at to solve the problem. Diana knew that when she did feel interested in people she started to chat freely, and naturally engage with them. So we looked at how she could draw up a calling list of potential clients who would be more appealing than the lists she had used in the past – and she started by contacting current and past clients she got on well with to see who they could suggest she call, and attending interesting exhibitions in her field.
4. Be open to trying a different approach
Diana's past experience of networking was boring and heavy; in her words, it had been "as dull as dishwater" - so we worked on lightening up the whole experience, the objective being to make it enjoyable and fun – and if she generated clients, that was a bonus. By creating strategies to relax and be herself, that's exactly what happened: at her first networking event she received two serious expressions of interest – and now she is replacing those bad memories with good ones.
5. Do it your way
Diana felt caged in by what she thought she should do. Once she stopped playing by these unspoken rules and comparing herself with others - and started thinking about how she could make things work for her, on her own terms, she was able to move forward in leaps and bounds. Do it your way and you will too!
