Shake Up Small Changes For Your Business

Surprise Yourself By Jumping In. Adjust Some Of Your Methods.

As small business owners, there may be times when you feel resistance to change but have to tough it out. It can feel like swimming through refrigerated molasses, slow and sticky.  We become attached to what we do and how we do it and that can hold us back. Systems, methods, ideology. Services, procedures and protocol. Change can look like a tall mountain. Even small changes for your business can sometimes look like a tall order.

At times, thankfully, there’s really nothing we can do but open up to alternate solutions and say “yes”. Climb out of the habit groove we’ve worn.

Maybe there’s been some uneasy awareness hovering in our peripheral vision. An issue we can’t see clearly until it finally comes to perfect light, shifts into focus and reveals itself glaringly to be in need of something but we’re not sure what. Or it could be a chance to delegate part of a process we’ve always handled on our own and take advantage of someone else’s talent for a change. We might hatch a new offering in our suite of services by separating it out from the pool and giving it a name. Try out a new tool that’s fun to use. Change the schedule.

We’re surrounded by smart people most of the time. Seeing how to do something through their eyes can be not only refreshing but also a boon for business. It may be a seemingly small change that, like a single tile in a game of dominoes, becomes a catalyst for other incremental advances and improvements. Or simply a way to free some attention to put elsewhere.

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When was the last time you pushed yourself past your normal zone, incorporated something unusual just to see what would happen or even if you could do it? Diving off the edge of comfort because you realized there’s really not much to lose, if anything. Or throwing your legs up in the air one at a time and balancing on your forearms without making contact with any supporting structure such as a wall (or someone spotting you)?

Okay- that last one is most likely not something you’ve given much thought to. But it’s something I’ve been working on.

Experiment With Small Change That May Have Big Impact

As an experiment last week, I pushed the button on a small but critical change on our website. It felt risky because of its implications and in certain ways was risky. Yet I knew it was the smart thing to do due to a dilemma-type observation that surfaced unexpectedly. There was a thing that was clearly not doing its job for us. A viable and tempting (possible) solution presented itself almost simultaneously with the discovery. This scenario took place during an analytic discussion with a friend and that made it easier because it’s someone whose expertise I trust. So when it came to light, I went finger-clicking-good right smack into implementing the change he suggested (of course, I did it with my own personal twist).

The anxiety didn’t hit until late that night when it came to me that I’d barely hesitated and didn’t really think it through. I’d acted spontaneously without considering all the potential unintended consequences. But I stuck with the change because it was the right thing to do. In the big picture of everything, this was a pretty small thing that could have a big impact. Sure, it could go either way but I acted on faith. And a small dare to myself to simply act.

The Right Balance

I’ve been doing forearm balances against the wall for many years. I kick up, touch the wall with one or both feet to get a sense of safety and then take them away and balance from there. Recently, I kicked up and unexpectedly, miraculously, my feet touched nothing but the air above my head and there I was. Balancing perfectly. My forearms were the only part of my body touching anything solid. For a significant amount of time. It felt simple. And smooth, as if it had happened without me. But truthfully, it was years of preparedness. The foundation already exists and doesn’t need to be questioned or doubted.

A Realization

It was then that I realized different experiences than the ones I am used to are utterly available to me.

I became curious about trying to kick up without the aid of the wall as a regular thing.  Farther away, but close enough for some mental comfort and actual safety. So if I kick too hard and go past the sweet spot, I won’t wrench my back by falling all the way over into an unwanted backbend on my forearms. That would not be prudent.

Today, I inadvertently used a bit of Trickster’s wiles. After trying unsuccessfully more than several times, I called it quits and moved closer to the wall to kick up my old way. You can probably guess what happened. With my mind and body fooled to comfort, I hit it perfectly without touching the wall and stayed balanced for what felt like forever.

Changing up some of the routines and approaches in our business, making changes to clarify services or gaining more efficiency is really no different. And now that I’m looking, I see there are a number of unusual things going on around here lately. I must be in just the right frame of mind, with just the right momentum to give new things a try. Nothing huge. But finding that welcome balance. It doesn’t take that much to generate a big impact or start that string of domino action. And to feel that sense of empowerment.

There’s that precise momentum – the exact amount needed to balance just right and “stick it”. It feels like anything is possible while you’re there. Whatever it takes, try for that.

 

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Pre-Remixed Photo Credit: iStock © RomoloTavani
Re-mix by Gina Fiedel

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