Are your blocks to success REALLY what you think they are? Part 1

Mine haven't been.

I've been self-employed since 1998 and in the ensuing years I've been convinced that there have been any number of reasons why my company, and now my solo-preneurship, have not been as successful as I've wanted them to be. We had the wrong employees in place. We didn't have the cash we needed. We had the wrong clients. We didn't draw clear boundaries or expectations up front with clients or vendors. We really needed the right software.Or when working solo I've thought - "If only I did more networking"... "It's my message. It's just not clear." ... "My offerings aren't right for my customer." ... "I need to do a better job of blogging consistently."... "My website needs a revamp." ... THEN I would have the success I've wanted.I'm sure you know the tune.And I've believed at different times that those were absolutely the reason my business wasn't performing like I wanted it to be.Except... I've worked with and known many other entrepreneurs who weren't good networkers, who weren't consistent bloggers, who had plain websites (or none at all!), who delivered some exceptionally difficult to explain services and they were thriving. They didn't have trouble attracting clients. They didn't have trouble getting the price they were asking for their services. And they had the money they wanted in their lives.

So, what's the deal? Why was it working for them and not for me?

The answer's simple. The blocks to our success are often not what we think they are.

We often think that our success and our business growth are a function of the technical aspects of running our business. The marketing, the message, the customer definition, the sales, the brand, the systems, the product launch, the website, the size of our email list.But they are not.I'm not saying that all those things don't play a part, but haven't you had the experience where you dedicated time, energy and money to any or all of those technical aspects and still found that you didn't experience the success or growth you wanted or hoped for?Weren't you convinced that if only you dedicated yourself to doing (insert the thing here) really well you too could have the business growth you wanted?Or maybe you've successfully grown your company just like you intended only now it isn't growing any more no matter what you try. Don't you feel confused?I have. I've been there.

Then what is the explanation? If the business aspects aren't the reasons, then what is the reason we can't grow our business or get it performing like we want it to?

I've found the answer lies in two parts which I call:

• The I AM's to Entrepreneurship, and
• Knowing the Blocks to Intent

Let me explain.

The I AM's to Entrepreneurship

Most of us have learned that our thoughts create our reality. True. In fact, our thoughts and beliefs are energy. While most of us can't see or feel that energy it is still there. With every thought or emotion we have we 'send out' energy, just like a transmitter.Extend this concept a little further. When you create your company, it is created from your thoughts, dreams and passions. Your company is a manifestation of you - an energetic creation. Think of your company as connected to you energetically since you created it. But also think of it as a kind of duplicate of your energy - of your beliefs, emotions and thoughts.

You are your business. Your business is you. This is not just a logical, legal reality. This is an energetic reality.

Click to tweet.Then...Who. You. Are.Directly affects your business, and is directly reflected in your business. Whatever beliefs you hold about yourself, affect your business. Who You Are affects your business, and Who You Are creates the business you have.Which brings me to the I AM's of Entrepreneurship. These are three statements of being that inform and breathe life into your business. They apply and existed when you formed your business and still exist today - even if you've never known it. They are the creation statements for your business. They are:

• I am an exceptional (state your purpose or calling here).
• I am an exceptional business leader and business grower.
• I am an exceptional attractor, creator and manifestor of money, opportunities and abundance.

The extent to which you consciously and unconsciously agree and resonate with these statements affects the success of your business. Your ability to recognize, embrace and live into these statements of being affects the growth of your business positively.Imagine you have limiting beliefs about being a great business leader and you implement some really amazing marketing practices, your limiting beliefs will have a direct effect on how well those marketing practices perform for you. Similarly, if you are clear and assured in your calling  and a great manifestor of money and opportunities, but not so comfortable in business, that will be reflected in your business.

I have found these I AM's to Entrepreneurship to be invaluable in helping me identify exactly where I need to work on myself so that my business will thrive. Notice I said 'on myself,' not on my business.

I've also learned that the degree to which I have limiting beliefs, fears or uncertainties around any of these statements impacts the success and growth of my business.Which brings us to the second part of the answer to why we are not able to grow our business like we want: Knowing the Blocks to Intent.I will cover Knowing Blocks to Intent in the next post within the next few days, so stay tuned.I'd like to know, once you consider it, can you see where you might have blocks to any one of the three I AM statements?