There’s no doubt about it, business has to be done a different way than it has been ever done before. Why? Because we (ie society) will only continue to get what we have always got if we don’t change. And who wants to continue with a system that has become so corrupt, so based on fear, and the poor decisions that fear causes? We are being required to up our game, and at a small business level it is easy to do – it just requires some commitment. Inspired by Cheryl Richardson’s recent blog post, I’ve put together twelve guidelines for 21st century conscious business. Have a look at them below, see what you already do, and what you might like to do; adapt them for yourself, and then commit to behaving this year as a 21st century conscious business owner. Print them out and put them where you can easily see them, and look at them regularly to remind yourself!

1. I take a break for lunch everyday and do something unrelated to work. I particularly take the opportunity to go outside and get some fresh air, even if just for 5 minutes.

2. I commit to a healthy balance between my work and my leisure hours, understanding that any more than 90 minutes of focused work easily becomes counterproductive.

3. I take the time each day to look at my business from a
distance, so I can be sure I am getting my priorities in the
right order, working on what really matters, not what appears to
matter.

4. I make sure my working environment is conducive to
ease, grace and productive work by keeping it free of clutter, lit
brightly and including a spider plant to help sop up the emissions
from the computer.

5. I drink plenty of water every day, especially when at my
computer!

6. I consistently ask myself ‘is this something that only I can
do?’ and when the answer is no, I delegate graciously and with
confidence, thereby empowering others.

7. I pay great rates for highly competent, talented people to
support what I am doing.

8. When working at home, I ask friends and family to
respect my boundaries and not interrupt me during these
times.

9. I allocate times in my work schedule to answer emails
(not more than three times per day) so that I can focus on tasks
and priorities with the best of my energy.

10. I say ‘No’ when asked to take on more than I think I
can handle gracefully.

11. I say ‘Yes’ to opportunities, even when feeling fearful
or anxious about the outcome. I choose to expand rather than
limit myself.

12. I invite inspiration regularly by stopping, being still,
and only then acting.

I think the term ‘spiritual business’ is going to become more and more acceptable, too – it might take another twenty of thirty years, but especially in the light of so much evidence of corruption in recent years, the credit crunch and the disillusionment with banks and the banking system, something has got to change.

At the moment, people in the mainstream world may think about the term ‘spiritual business as ‘massage’ used to be thought about – associating it with ‘woo-woo’, ‘New Age’ or ‘wishy-washy Law of Attraction thinking’. But I think it is far, far more than this.

Firstly, what is spirituality? The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as:

relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.

If you are someone who considers your life is contributed to by the presence of spirit or soul, or you would like it to be, then you are open to being able to bring spirituality into your business. You quite possibly already do, if for example, you are someone who consciously values walking in nature and appreciating the wondrous experience possible there, and then you return to your work, fulfilled by what nature has given you, which then infuses the work you do. This could easily mean you have a spiritual business.  But not if your business is drug trafficking, or something else that is damaging to others, or the world!

So perhaps one definition of a spiritual business could be where you find meaning in your work, which contributes to the world in and of itself, so that greater good and wisdom is expanded throughout the world.

I would love to hear from you what your ideas are about spirituality in business, or indeed what you think a spiritual business is.

To spark off some ideas in you, look down this list and see how many sentences apply to you. I’ve put them together as some suggestions as to what might define a spiritual business. Then do please post below on the website your own thoughts!

A spiritual business is one where:

• Integrity in business dealings is uppermost

• You work to see the good in all things, no matter how disastrous they appear to be

• Your personal spiritual journey is reflected in your business

• You are doing something you love doing and has meaning for you

• Your business is actively contributing to making the world a better place

• You work, or aspire to work, within the context of being held by a power greater than you, regardless of definition

• You regularly take time to connect with your heart to bring that dimension into your business

• You take an attitude of responsibility to whatever happens, rather than blame

• You endeavour to find the balance between being in stillness and taking action

• You like to hold yourself and your team in the light, whether you mention it to them or not!

• You like to begin meetings with silence and an invitation to team members to check out how they are within

• You acknowledge the existence of angels, guides, unseen realms that can help

• You appreciate your intuition and try to act on it if appropriate

• You conduct yourself in an ethical manner

• Your own and your team’ s fulfilment is at least as important as your profit

• Profit is accepted as a healthy sign of a good business

• Your business development and spiritual growth are part and parcel of the same thing