My wife and I planned a vacation in October 2001. The tragedy of 9-11 caused us to cancel those plans. Almost two years later we still have not taken that trip because she is still uncomfortable about flying. I recently had to ask her, "So, when will it be the right time for us to travel again?"

Many of us are waiting for things to go back to how it used to be. Many salespeople and business owners are waiting for the economy to get better. If you are selling or running your business the same way you've been running it for the last several years, you're overdue to reevaluate your business philosophy. You're also making it easier for your competition to take away the new business that you're working so hard to earn!

Businesses are closing their doors not due to a lack of effort but because they are still attempting to sell or run their business the way it was. Playing the waiting game and hoping for things to get better is a surefire strategy for failure. You can wait yourself right out of business.

If normal has changed, then we need to change with it. Here are some ideas to help you adapt to this new definition of normality.
1. Change your mindset. Mental constipation keeps us stuck in the same place. To change how you sell or how your business operates often means first changing how you think. Start by accepting the new reality. Give yourself permission to stop playing the waiting game, embrace what is rather than what was and ask yourself: "What's the new opportunity here?" The quicker you embrace the truth the better you'll be able to respond to it.

Consider what the automotive industry did to respond to these new economic times - 0% financing! An unprecedented move in this industry. The result has been a banner year for car sales.

2. Change your system. If you can accept the new reality, then what are you going to do about it? How can you respond to poor market conditions other than being a victim?

Start by creating five new, daily habits for success. Decide on five activities, tasks or projects you want to see through to completion that support your goals.

For example, if you've built your businesses on referrals and they're not coming in like they used to, what could be done to raise the bar? Do you have a referral program in place? Are you proactive about asking for referrals? If so, how do you ask for them - snail mail, email, face-to-face or telepathy? Pick activities that if done consistently will generate new results.

You could also invest in yourself or your people. Take sales or leadership training, get a coach, hire a marketing pro or develop a team-building program. What would be unique and even fun to try?

3. Change your comfort level. We are creatures of habit. We like to do things that produce a degree of certainty in the results, even when they may not serve us best. At the same time, we want better results but resist anything new, so we recoil back into what is safe and comfortable. The paradox is, change is the only constant. To grow and evolve, we must change and stretch beyond our comfort zone. Consider this: If you are comfortable with the activities you engage in, then you are simply doing what you've already been doing, which will produce the same results as before. However, if you are willing to do the things that make you uncomfortable - a new activity, strategy or developing a new skill - then you will create new results. The lesson? If it's uncomfortable, it's probably the right thing to do and the quickest path to greater success. So, get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

You may be familiar with the definition of insanity; "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

 Consider my definition of futility: "Knowing the definition of insanity, but not doing anything about it."
 
It's healthy to embrace and respond to the new normal. Your business and your peace of mind depend on it.