Is your business anchored in the promise of tomorrow, or weighed down by the challenges of today?

Quinton Douman

If it has your ears and your eyes, then it has your attention. If it has your attention then it has your heart and if it has your heart it will surely have your voice, says MD of 2one2 Business Consulting; personal development coach and a professional speaker Quinton Douman. 

Currently, South Africans are being inundated with a barrage of negative messaging from a wide variety of sources and platforms, from news outlets to social media posts. 

Anger, insecurity and fear breed anger, insecurity and fear. These three emotions are toxic to your success on any level and can destroy all the hard work that you have put into improving your life or your business; they push you into making defensive decisions rather than proactive ones, spreading the negativity to employees, contemporaries and even family members.

However, if you choose to be anchored in voices and messaging that inspires hope and confidence, then your internal dialogue will reflect that, providing you with the perspective and emotional freedom from which great decisions can manifest, and making you someone others can turn to for positive reinforcement and inspiration.

You may ask: ‘But Quinton, how can we have hope and confidence in our country and economy at a time like this?’ 

My answer to you is - how can we not? 

This is one of those times in which an overflow of hope, love and confidence are imperative. And it is in times like this when we need to become selective about the voices we expose ourselves to so as not to be influenced by those whose aspirations and intentions are not in line with our own, or be seduced into repeating and reinforcing them.

Start by implementing a no compromise strategy regarding your consumption of information. Don't read everything in your newsfeed; you need to become highly selective about who you listen to and who you spend your time with.

Find your anchor; this is a good time to go back to the roots of your business - the reason you started it in the first place. 

Revisit your strengths and talents - the things you are absolutely great at - and, if you know that what you are good at still has the power to solve problems in society or your business, then use it as your anchor and don't quit.

Reawaken the core values of your business. Walt Disney believed with his whole heart that one could assert one’s will on the world. He believed that anything was possible, and his belief in possibility was his highest value, serving as a wonderful anchor in his decision-making.

Quiet periods and lower revenue are to be expected all over, so plan for it; use the time wisely to invest in your personal development as a leader, learn and study more, and encourage your people to do the same. Use the time to solidify your team, engage in activities that will enhance the commitment of everyone to the overall vision of your business, so that when the season changes - and it will change - you will be ready, better equipped and perfectly positioned to win.

There's a lot going on in Mzansi right now; our currency is weak, racism is prevalent and, and increased news sources which consistently publish articles that sow seeds of division and anger in the name of profit, it is easy to feel discouraged - but now is the time to be grounded and anchored in the belief that we will weather this storm and will come out victorious... Nomakanjani!