I caught up with a work friend for lunch the other day. We haven’t seen each other in years but we’ve stayed in contact through social media. He made a really interesting comment to me. He said: “You’re a survivor”.
He is right. I’m a survivor. I can’t even tell you how tough it has been establishing my business and building my profile over the last decade, but I stuck with it and didn’t give up. (Oh how I wanted to so many times and I’ve made massive sacrifices during this time.)
I was brought up pretty tough. My parents instilled in me the belief I can achieve anything I put my mind to. They also taught me to never, ever give up. I do think there are times where giving up is valid, but it’s also important to question if it’s worth pushing through.
Don’t accept the status quo
You probably know by now that I’m passionate about being open to ‘yes’. But the other side of this is there are times you have to not accept ‘no’.
It’s not easy. In fact, it can be incredibly tough. But too many people give up after their first ‘no’ and don’t persist.
Here are my tips on what to do if you’re faced with a ‘no’.
Don’t take it personally
If I took every ‘no’ I’ve heard in my career, I would literally still be sitting in my sunroom trying to work out what to do! If you receive a ‘no’, recognise it’s not all about you. Remove yourself from the equation so you don’t let a ‘no’ stop you from achieving your goals.
Look for new opportunities
In my mind, if I hear a ‘no’, I think it’s just an opportunity to do something different. You are surrounded by new opportunities every day, but it’s likely you’re not seeing them. Take a moment to reflect and consider what else is possible for you right now.
Change direction
Recently, when a well known Australian publication rejected one of my articles, I decided to change direction and aim for the biggest international publication I know – The Huffington Post. The funny thing is, this one rejection lead me to an even bigger opportunity I didn’t have before. (And now I’m an official Huffington Post blogger.)
Watch out for the ‘nos’ you give yourself
I hate doing video. Hate it. I had told myself I couldn’t do video. Last month I signed up to the online video challenge #Vidtember and posted one video every day. Would you believe me if I said I love doing video now? (You can check out all my #Vidtember videos here.)
Get support
Sometimes when you are challenging the status quo, you need to get the support of great people. Without my amazing team, my supportive friends and family, and my mastermind group I probably would have given up a long time ago. Make sure you reach out for support when you’re pushing through a ‘no’ to help you get to the next level.
Take action
Without action there are no results. So when it comes down to it, you have to take action to achieve success. Sometimes you have to face the fear and do it anyway. But most importantly, you have to just take action.
So ask yourself, where in your business and life will you not take no for an answer?
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