As a therapist for over two decades, I believed that you could only help your clients to the degree that you had worked on your own issues.  

As a business owner for the last 11 years, I believe the same is true for business. You can only expand your business to the degree you have expanded yourself.

Here are my four recommendations to help you grow into a bigger and more profitable business:

#1: CHANGE YOUR VIEW OF ADVERSITY

Entrepreneurs identify and solve problems for people and organizations in better ways than what was previously available,  who have the ability and desire to pay.

Businesses become more profitable when the business owner problem-solves and implements process and quality improvements. These allow the organization to do what they do in high-quality ways using fewer resources.  

If you feel tension and anxiety when you are presented with a challenge in your business or life, you are looking at this incorrectly.  The challenge, adversity, or problem actually allows you to see and correct the next thing to get you to the next level.

Resolving challenges is the business we are in.  If all of the challenges go away, there is no need for entrepreneurs.

This is a good thing.

If you can’t see the issue, you can’t fix it.  If you can’t fix it, you stay at the same level or even backslide as your competitors are continuously improving.

So, the next time you experience a trial in your business or personal life, smile.  It is a sign you are moving forward towards your vision.

#2:  RETHINK HOW GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS

Having regular communication with God and inviting him to provide input, guidance, and direction in all of your personal and professional decisions sometimes yields unexpected results.  This phenomenon throws many people off.  

When you invite God for help, many times he doesn’t hand you what you want on a platter.  

Instead, he often allows an obstacle in your life that as you overcome will result in you being at the skill level necessary to achieve your vision.

Basically, if you are not living your vision fully right now, it’s because you couldn’t handle it.  

God demonstrates his loving fatherhood by allowing a circumstance that requires you to uplevel your skills, mindset, habits, who you are being and doing. In doing this he prepares you for the abundance that you desire.  Have hope.  The adversity often signals the abundance coming into your business and life.

#3 ASSESS IF YOU ARE STAYING IN THE “REACTION” LOOP RATHER THAN ADVANCING FORWARD IN RESPONSE TO ADVERSITY.

Trauma occurs when negative events in our business and personal life get stuck in our bodies as emotional wounds.  The thoughts and feelings around those negative events never travel to your logical brain.  In the logical brain, you logically process, learn, and reconcile the event.

Many people stay stuck where they are in their business or personal life when they stay in a trauma that was triggered by a familiar challenge.  Embedded trauma blocks learning and adapting from mistakes.  People with unprocessed trauma react to the adversity with either fight or flight.  The flight or flight response typically doesn’t ultimately deliver the results they want.

Reacting rather than responding aggravates the original emotional wound. It leads to ineffective action or a state of being frozen. Rather than being able to prepare for and develop the skills for the next level of your vision, you experience greater setbacks.  

This cycle can keep people from growing and expanding for years, decades, and even a lifetime.

It’s best to observe if you are able to RESPOND in a constructive way to the adversity you are experiencing.  If so, you are on track.  You are likely taking the next right action.

If you stay in reaction mode,  a new form of the same challenge will present itself with another opportunity to heal and grow until you actually do.

Repeated recurring dynamics and problems signal the need to get assistance attending to your underlying emotional, spiritual, and mental health.  As you do, it’s likely you will break through to the next level.

#4 DEBRIEF AFTER YOU’VE MOVED PAST THE ADVERSITY

Adversity propels you forward when you complete the learning and healing cycle.  

• You leaned into the adversity, recognizing it as a healthy part of moving towards your vision.
• You’ve felt supported rather than abandoned by God, exercising his help and guidance for getting yoru to the next skill level necessary for your vision.
• You’ve more objectively observed either your REACTION or RESPONSE to the adversity, being honest if deeping issues are playing a role.  
• After the immediate crisis has passed you evaluate in your DEBRIEF what you learned about yourself; what tools and approaches do and don’t work for you; and what next skill God’s highlighting you to take to be ready for the blessings he wants to give you in your.

CONCLUSION

When you alter the way you approach personal and professional challenges in the way I describe above, you have the ability to have fewer and fewer “adversity crises”.  You start being proactive in recognizing the skills you need to develop in your business and life to support your vision.  You don’t have to wait for the next “blow up” to accelerate your skill development process.

Christian Entrepreneurs Biz and Life Tips:  List your top business and personal challenges.  Identify what skill deficit has led to the adversity you are currently experiencing.  Be proactive in letting God show you how to accelerate your learning curve on developing that skill.  And watch your vision come into a more clear view before your eyes.