It goes without saying that this time in our country is probably the biggest challenge most business owners have ever faced; in fact, we’re so entrenched in this moment that it may be difficult to remember any challenges we previously faced.

If you can’t recall your biggest challenge before now think about when you originally started or bought your business.  You spent a lot of time figuring things out, determining what worked and what didn’t, worried about cash flow, felt the fear of potential failure.  And yet, somehow you made it through or at least made it to a point of survival.

But it’s clear that you can’t continue doing things as you always have if you not only want to keep going, but you want to thrive.  Change is imminent – not just now, but always!

You hear a lot about mindset nowadays and if you have an abundance mindset things will go your way, right?   In all honesty, we know that a positive mindset is key (especially right now), but things don’t happen just because you “think” they will.

It’s the action that creates the leaps!

In fact, most business owners (and people in general) that I know have made their greatest leaps when someone tells them “they can’t” or “that will never work”.  Why do you suppose that is?

When you’re truly passionate about something and your why is extremely important to you, the “no’s” push you; they actually fuel you into action.

So what are the 3 top things you should do now to get your biggest leap?

1. Be HONEST with yourself – things may not be the same as they have in the past 5-10 years; you might not be able to keep the same customers or employees. This isn’t to say you can’t still survive right now or achieve your vision. Don’t let the weight of the world fall on your shoulders when making business decisions; don’t allow yourself to make decisions based on emotions.  If you’re having difficulty with this, bring an objective person in to help.  Look at the big picture and review your numbers so you can realistically evaluate your options.  At this point forecasting is crucial.                                                                     
2. Be Strategic and Create the Plan – You may have to shift employees to different roles and eliminate other positions.  You may need to redesign the process of how a service is performed or a product made.  You may need to relocate.  You may need to bring in investors.  The thing is, if you’ve made it this far, you can make it work.  You may even find, after the dust clears, that it works better.  A key to remember, especially now, is don’t overcomplicate things; keep it simple!

3. Take Action – Right now ALL business owners (those struggling and those flourishing) need to be making hard decisions fast and smart, they need to demonstrate leadership, empower their team members, be creative, identify and prioritize opportunities aligned with their vision.

Consider this….

Remember when everything came in print: newspapers, stories, comics, phone books…but then electronics came along and print declined.  Businesses had to find a way to pivot their processes and products in order to maintain and increase their market share.  The news is now found online, advertising moved to social media, stories are now more common on audio, comics have turned into television shows and movies.  The outcome is often the same, but the delivery changed.

When you think about the magnitude of today’s crisis swarming the media it causes panic and emotional reaction, so don’t look at the magnitude.  Try looking at just your piece of the puzzle, try looking at just today so you can adjust your frame of mind and pull things into perspective as to how you might adjust your delivery.

What’s your big “WHY”?  Is it enough to lunge you into your biggest leap?