Feeding Into Negativity Won't Grow Your Business Everybody has something to cry about, but nobody wants to do business with a crybaby.
By Kimanzi Constable Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
We are entrepreneurs, but we're also human. We get angry when things aren't going as planned. We get frustrated when we don't sign a client we were sure would sign up. We are tempted to go negative when we get attacked after doing everything we can to add value to the lives of our audience and customers.
There are many circumstances that happen as you build a business that can push you into negativity mode. It's not a great place to be. Negativity can lay roots in your mind that grow into something that will derail your progress. Once you let a little negativity in, it doesn't take long for it to drag you down.
Worse is when you do things that feed into negativity. Things happen that are out of your control, but there are things you can control and make a choice to do. Don't choose negativity. It will affect your business. Here are three things to think about to keep negativity out of your business.
Related: How Complaining Rewires Your Brain for Negativity
Stay away from posting updates that will draw the negative mob.
Tell me if this experience sounds familiar. You post on your social media networks about a win in your business. You post life and business advice. You talk about good happening in the world. In all of these type of posts, you get some engagement. Then, you post something about things not going well, or you post something that's a little negative. I promise you, those type of posts will get triple the engagement.
People feed into negativity. Those negative posts will get you tons of engagement. You have probably seen this. There's the idea of feeding the mob. While it may get people in your network talking, it's affecting you and them. It's not worth it. That negative mob may be with you now, but it won't take much for them to turn against you.
Be the kind of entrepreneur who is real but doesn't feed into negativity. If you have the privilege of influence, use it wisely. Add to the lives of others by posting updates that inspire and motivate. Share the hard moments but from a place of teaching. Life is our greatest teacher. Learn from circumstances and use those lessons to help others. You won't get the same kind of engagement -- and that's a good thing.
Related: Why Negativity Ruins More Good Ideas Than Anything Else (and 5 Tips to Avoid It)
Stay focused on what leads to growth for you.
One of the worst things you can do as an entrepreneur is to use comparison as the measuring stick of your success. We live in a time when we can see what other entrepreneurs are doing. We can see their wins and successes. It's natural to compare. Don't do it.
The reality is you don't know what another entrepreneur did to get that win. It may have taken them 100 tries, but you're comparing your effort to their finished result. It's an apple-to-oranges comparison in a lot of cases. Comparison in the wrong way cripples entrepreneurs. It feeds into negativity on many levels.
Explosive growth will happen when you are laser-focused. This is your entrepreneurship journey. Stay focused on what will lead to your growth. You can model the success of other entrepreneurs, but stay away from any inaccurate comparisons.
Related: 5 Things Entrepreneurs Caught in Comparisons Should Remember
Support other entrepreneurs because it's hard for all of us.
Building a business that gives you freedom and financial security is not easy for any of us. Few of us were handed silver spoons. It takes a lot of work. Support is important. Having the right kind of support is often what gets us through the hard times. You can be that support for other entrepreneurs.
You end up being who you allow into your life. Entrepreneurs who stay away from negativity and support other entrepreneurs attract those who want to help their journey. Your business will grow or stumble based off of your connections. Negativity has no place in an inclusive and supportive environment.
It is tempting to go negative. It may even get you more exposure, but it's the type of exposure that will bring you down levels in your mind. Be real. Life isn't always peaches and cream, and we all know it. Don't put on a front. Look for the good in every situation. The lessons you take away from the harder times will lead to growth in your mindset that has a positive effect on your business.
