Auntie Kate The Resale Expert

1. Learn something new every day. The more you learn about something, the more interesting it is to you, and the more fired-up you become. If you don’t make an effort to learn something new every day, you stagnate. Not only is that no fun, but every day that you don’t educate yourself, you fall further behind the business world as it goes on without you. I see people stuck in ruts from something they learned ten years ago and never bothered updating their knowledge on. Those are the shopkeepers with the overpriced, outdated “good brands” from fifteen years ago.

Ask yourself every day, What new thing did I learn today?

2. Pat yourself on the back every day. You did something to step along your path to success today. What was it? Acknowledge it, congratulate yourself, and strive to do it again…and add to it, next time. Zipped your lip when you really wanted to agree with a customer that a competing business was less than perfect? Did a window display that had cars pulling out of traffic into your lot? Good on ya!
Every self-pat will lead to another. Reward yourself, revel in your revelations, rattle them bones! You’re great, and you’re greater than you were yesterday, and who knows what pinnacles of greatness await?

Tell yourself every day, I did a real good job on that.

3. Figure out what your goal is today, and aim for it. Try different paths or even different goals, as long as they’re all aiming in the same direction. Today, I’m going to break my all-time Tuesday sales total record or Today, I’m going to sell at least 4 things priced over $50. Or even, Today, I’m going to get all the rods waxed.
Feeling like the business is a drag on you? Just think about your long-term goals when you opened your shop, and reflect upon how much closer you are to them now. Chances are you’ll realize that you have surpassed those long-ago goals and are progressing along wonderfully in an atmosphere of more success than your spouse or your mother ever thought your shop would realize! When you have that warm feeling, even a temporary setback won’t color your day grey.

Ask yourself every day, What path to success can I take a few steps forward on right now?

4. Stay away from nay-sayers. All they do is whittle away at your energy and optimism. If you can’t get these types of people out of your life, develop selective hearing. Stay excited: customers buy from, suppliers trust, and competitors envy the enthusiastic shopkeeper. And your excitement will fill you with vitality and enjoyment… which is, after all, what we’re all here for.

Tell yourself every day, I’m gonna shoot for the moon today. Even if I miss, I’ll land among the stars.