Homeostasis in Your Small Business - Part 2

Homeostasis is the body’s natural tendency to maintain stability and resist change — a powerful mechanism that ensures balance. While essential for biological survival, the concept is metaphorically at play in your small business. 

Some time ago I realized that the dreaded homeostasis ‘virus’ had infected my business mind.

My productive daily habits weren’t what they could be and homeostasis was working effectively to keep me from making the changes my business and I needed. And so were my saboteurs.

I knew I could break free! Looking back I even surprised myself. Getting out of bed in the morning was just the same daily grind. Now I never start anything until I have at least done three different types of PQ reps so that my mind is ready to start the day. I don’t look at my phone, or turn the TV on, or read any news first. I wake up and work in those PQ reps before my mind heads off elsewhere.

In Part 1 of this series, we discussed how, unfortunately, in a business context, homeostasis can create ruts — unintentionally holding you back from growth, innovation, and realizing your full potential. 

Now let’s break this down and explore how you can overcome this resistance using Positive Intelligence (PQ), Sage powers, and by subduing your Saboteurs. 

Consider your Avoider Saboteur, who might convince you that pursuing new opportunities is too uncomfortable or risky, or your Hyper-Achiever Saboteur, who drives constant busyness but distracts you from meaningful growth efforts. These Saboteurs can conspire with your desire for homeostasis, keeping your business in a static state even when growth and innovation are desperately needed.

Engaging my Sage powers and confronting my Saboteurs was life-changing. Did I do perfectly? Nope! But as I learned more and incorporated more of these skills into my daily life, homeostasis lost its grip on my business mind and, no lie, the sun poured in.

Here’s how it works:

Sage Powers: The Antidote to Homeostasis

Stepping out of homeostasis requires shifting into your Sage Perspective. Your Sage sees challenges and change not as threats, but as gifts and opportunities for growth. By leveraging the five Sage Powers — Empathize, Explore, Innovate, Navigate, and Activate — you can interrupt the cycle of homeostasis and bring forward movement into your business.

1. Empathize: Start with self-compassion. Recognize the pull of homeostasis without judgment. Your Avoider or Controller Saboteur may resist change out of fear or perfectionism, which is normal. Use empathy to stay grounded in your Sage self.

This Sage power helped me see that everyone is suffering with their own Saboteurs and have more empathy towards them and let go of frustration.

1. Explore: Adopt the role of a fascinated anthropologist. Objectively look at your business model and identify patterns of resistance to change. Set aside judgments and ask, “What new opportunities do I want to pursue, and what barriers are keeping me from it?”

Enabling me to become a fascinated anthropologist in my business is one of the many gifts of engaging with the Positive Intelligence program.

1. Innovate: Use creative problem-solving to break free from current habits and reimagine how your business can operate. This might mean experimenting with new marketing tools, outsourcing tasks, or defining a niche more closely aligned to your ideal clients — ideas you may have avoided before now.
2. Navigate: Hold your long-term vision front and center. Ask yourself, “What do I need to do today to ensure my business is thriving five years from now?” Decisions rooted in Sage wisdom will steer your business away from the confines of homeostasis.
3. Activate: Take action despite discomfort. This is where PQ Reps — small muscle-building exercises for your brain — ensure your mental fitness supports you in consistently moving toward growth. Whether it’s committing to one new habit or tackling the task you’ve been avoiding, focused action is key to disrupting stagnation.

Here’s where my homeostasis was finally vanquished. Using the Activate power moves me towards my goals each and every day. And PQ reps are the fuel that fires that engine!

PQ: Building the Mental Fitness to Evolve

Your Positive Intelligence quotient (PQ) equips you to intercept the lies of your Saboteurs and strengthen your Sage. Daily PQ practices, such as mindfulness or reflective exercises, help you develop the self-command to overcome inertia. With an active PQ brain, you’re equipped to recognize and challenge limiting beliefs, creating the mental clarity needed for change.

Breaking the Cycle

Ultimately, breaking free from homeostasis involves recognizing its patterns, shifting from a Saboteur-led perspective to the Sage perspective, and committing to incremental changes driven by confidence and self-command. Imagine what your small business could achieve if you embraced innovation in ease and flow, confident that change leads to growth.

As your Sage leads, you can turn the fear of change into excitement for opportunity.

So, what is one small step you can take today to disrupt homeostasis in your business?

What part of this framework resonates most with you? Or is there a specific area you're looking to grow but feel stuck? 

You too can vanquish homeostasis. 

Let’s explore together.