3 Ways to Remain Calm Before Your Big Event

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”
-William James

Live events are one of THE best ways to grow a business. It is an ideal scenario where you get a room filled with your ideal audience, you get to teach great content and give people an opportunity to ‘experience’ you, the audience recognizes that there really are ‘similar minded’ entrepreneurs out there and it’s always good to throw in an element of fun. Entrepreneurs work hard – fun is a good thing.

The last few weeks leading up to a 3-day live event can either make or break an entrepreneur. I have been doing this for 4 years and so I know that of which I speak. There are so many moving parts that it can go one way or the other.

One of the reasons many entrepreneurs fail at business is because they don’t have a plan. One of the reasons that many entrepreneurs fail with live events is also because they don’t have a plan. Without a plan:

• It can break your spirit.
• It can destroy your team.
• It can break your bank account.

“How we perceive a situation and how we react to it is the basis of our stress. If you focus on the negative in any situation, you can expect high stress levels. However, if you try and see the good in the situation, your stress levels will greatly diminish.”
-Catherine Pulsifer

There are 3 ways you can remain calm before your big event. Ok, so there are probably half a dozen really good ways, actually – but I want to give you THE 3 that I lean on as I head into the final week before my Wealth Makers event in Toronto.

In the spirit of Canadian Thanksgiving, let me share some of the simple, yet powerful, things that happen in most of our worlds, each and every day. This will help to get you started – and, trust me, I highly recommend this as a new habit for you and your family.

The idea of the Gratitude Journal is to end your day and write down 5 things for which you are grateful. In life, as in business, I find that people over-complicate this. Simplify it. Here are a few ideas to get you started – as shared by Sarah Ban Breathnach (and me!):

1. STAY CONNECTED WITH YOUR COACH AND WORK THE PLAN.
There is absolutely NO way I could plan, manage and execute a major 3-day LIVE event without the support and guidance of my business coach. NO WAY in the world. One thing I have learned, over the past 5 years with my coach, is to be open, be vulnerable, stay connected and listen. She knows what she is talking about. She has been there – and very successfully too (that’s key!). We have regular coaching calls in which we cover everything from the plan, the content, the budget and my emotions. I cannot do this alone. I would not attempt this alone. You need to be working with a business coach and just know that, with the proper and successful guidance, you too will quickly learn the benefit of hosting your own live events.

2. STAY CONNECTED WITH YOUR TEAM
I have a virtual team and we have worked together for many years. They know my business, they know me and they know my plan for the annual live event. Every year we go through the process of working together (along with my coach and our event planners), starting many months in advance of the event, to get the ball rolling. There ARE many moving parts to a live event and each of my team members play a key role. It is imperative that I also stay open, connected, supportive and vulnerable with them. I could not do this without them – and I assure them of this on a regular basis. They play a key role. We each have our roles – leading up to, through and beyond the event. They know the pressures and the joys that I deal with in pulling this together. It’s vitally important to keep them in the loop. The more you communicate with them, the more they feel part of the whole experience – and that includes all of the good, the bad and the ugly. I love my team members and the fact that they support me at this particular critical part of the year in my business.

3. STAY CONNECTED WITH YOURSELF.
That just might sound a little weird when you first read it – but it’s exactly what I mean. Be in tune with how you are feeling, how you are doing, how you are reacting to things and handling things. The months and weeks leading up to a live event can be a major roller coaster experience. This is not one you want to go through alone – however there are many times when you actually ARE alone. You’ve got to make some major decisions because ‘the buck stops here’. There are times of anxiety, fear, distress, second-guessing yourself …….all the way to the other end of the spectrum taking you to joy, elation, celebration, positive anticipation. Keep in tune with how you are feeling physically too – so important to take care of your physical needs when it comes to nutrition, exercise, sleep and positive mindset. In the last few days before my major event, I schedule the time for the personal care – facials, manicures, etc. – it’s so important to my mental well-being.

Each of these steps creates the path to a successful live event. Keep it simple – take note of what I have shared with you and these 3 steps alone will set you up for a great experience. Live events can be so much fun, for everyone, when the planning kicks in early – when people are connected, included and informed – and when you take good care of yourself which is a prime responsibility as a leader.

When will you plan your first live event? Want to see one in action? There is still time to join me in Toronto – grab a seat here.