Running an agency or any business can be hard and mentally tasking sometimes. Worry and anxiety are some feelings business owners struggle with. I have a mindset that helps me stay sane and avoid worrying too much.
10 years ago I read a book by Steven Covey titled The 7 habits of effective people. He explained a model called Circle of influence and Circle of concern. Circle of concern refers to a wide range of things that you care about but can’t control. Examples could be economy, politics, health, national debt, global pandemic e.t.c.
Circle of influence is much smaller; they are the things that concern you and you can do something about and effect change.
I apply this to my business by focusing on things that I can influence like being consistent with my work, doing my best on projects, firing a bad client, networking and selling everyday. These are the things that will move the needle in my business, so the more I do them the better the outcomes I get.
Focusing on things in your circle of concern is counterproductive and can lead to negative feelings and helplessness. My circle of concern could be the economy, pandemic, whether a proposal I sent would be accepted, if I have a lot of competitors or not e.t.c.
Daily I chose to neglect all these, protect my mental health and focus on what I can control. It’s not perfect but I’m managing to keep my head above the water. That counts!
“Focus on the things you can control, and don’t waste energy on the things you cannot” – Unknown
