Your imagination is the most important tool for the creation and growth of your business.

After a bout of frustration I had an epiphany. Building a successful business is actually a spiritual journey. None of the issues I was facing stemmed from the performance of my company but my lack of belief that the path was being laid out in front of me. I was afraid.I had 100% trust in a reality I didn't prefer. I had work to do yes, but not menial tasks. I needed to work on my mind. The mundanity of the day to day tasks isn't the brunt of what makes a business. It is imagination, courage, and belief that form a strong-thriving business. Once I improved my mood and shook off the doubt that I was feeling I was able to receive clarity from an unlikely source.

I was invited to attend a ballet on the heels of my realization and the timing of the event couldn't have been more perfect. In front of me were dancers stepping into the roles of their characters, feeling the realness of their stories and through those feelings creating an entire reality around them so convincing that the audience saw it too. For two hours we were all co-existing in the same narrative, believing it, and enjoying the experience. The deeper the dancers went into character, the more believable they were, the better the production was, and the more we enjoyed the show.

As a business owner, you're no different than those dancers on the stage. It's important to remember that you too are telling a story, and not just to those around you. The amount of belief you have to have to own your own business and how hard it can be when you can't see or touch your dreams is incredible. Therefore, you have to step into character and convince yourself before you can convince everyone else. Use your imagination and write a script of your highest expectations and feel them.

In your story, you are the incredibly successful and scrappy founder. What attitude does that person have? What are their beliefs? If they could go back in time and impart wisdom on you what would they say? When you can answer those questions, you have your lines. The next step is to go over your lines until you can't feel a material difference between who you are now and who you're becoming.

Don't stop there either. Rehearse the script of the perfect employees. What are their personalities and goals? What skills do they bring to the company? How well do they get along with each other? Step into the role of your target customer or reader and be inquisitive. Ask questions. Use your products & services and fall in love with them. Play the part of your perfect business partner. Be a good teammate to yourself. Don't beat yourself up when you make mistakes. Be that solution-oriented peer that is both knowledgeable and easy to work with.

Perception is reality and when you play the role of all the moving parts of your business you're creating your reality. Do this often enough, and you will summon the life-blood required to manifest your dreams, unshakeable belief.