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“Language is very powerful. Language does not just describe reality. Language creates the reality it describes.” Desmond Tutu
Of course, you know that the right language—on your website, when you speak, in your marketing pieces—moves your people to act.
But there is another way language is every bit as critical to your growth: how you talk to yourself.
We all talk to ourselves (and a few important others) about how our business is rolling along—are you a baller or circling the drain?
Case in point: two consultants at exactly the same revenue point—one is jumping for joy while the other is beating himself up. Same revenue, roughly the same bump from the prior year (30%+) and two completely different reactions.
The unhappy camper had been gunning for 50% growth, but came in at “only” 30%. He agonized over missed moves that might have taken him to his goal. How could he have gotten this so wrong?
Instead of savoring a sweet revenue lift, he went into a self-trash-talking spiral for a few weeks before he corrected course.
Meanwhile, his counterpart decided she was bold and brave and immediately started looking for more ways to increase her value.
Bet it won’t surprise you who made their next leap the fastest.
Plenty of studies prove that the words we use to describe a situation impact our reality. Which means we have a choice.
So how about we choose powerful language that will help us enjoy our business journey?
How about we give ourselves credit for the progress we HAVE made?
How about we measure ourselves from where we started, not how far short we fall from our mega goal?
Not that we shouldn’t have bold, audacious goals to inspire us. But thinking big means we will fall short sometimes (maybe even a lot).
Are we supposed to just wait until all the stars align to enjoy the fruits of creating an expertise business?
I don’t think so. Building can be joyful—if we just let it.
Related: Why You Want To Think About the Lifecycle of Your Business Relationships