No one starts a business to chain themselves to their desk and work 16-hour days. You could do that working for someone else and probably make better pay!
Yet, too often, that’s exactly what happens.
Client attraction strategies, the bookkeeping, actually doing the work – it all takes a lot of time. Then there’s all the preoccupation you have in your “off” hours. Thinking through projects, launches, clients, and relationships and in order to keep up with the increasing personal and professional demands, we use technology to help us “get it all done.” The end result is the work boundaries are fuzzier and fuzzier and our hours get longer and longer.
If you’re already in business for yourself, then you probably realize the tremendous personal growth that’s required. Every level requires self-reflection to move ahead. However, that’s good news for entrepreneurs. If you don’t like the way something is going, you have the power to stand up, take the leap, and change your business!
Here’s the thing, if you are anything less than ecstatic to jump out of bed each morning to grasp your day, you would benefit from a re-evaluation. After all, didn’t you start this for a greater sense of fulfillment?
Guide Your Business Ventures with These Five Questions
- What do you value most in life?
Take time to reflect on what you value most in life. This helps to create a filter you can “bump” your decisions against. Whether you’re hiring employees or choosing to work with a client or vendor, the more your values align, the happier you’ll be.For example, if you value rules and structure, then you know you’ll want to avoid working with people that are known for being wacky and lax. If you value staying close to your family, you know that you need to pursue passions that will allow you to maintain that closeness in proximity and/or time.
- Reflect on the roles you’ve loved the most.
When trying to figure out what your next business step should be, look backwards first! Think back to all the different jobs you’ve had, the different teams you’ve been a part of. Think about the volunteering you’ve done and the hobbies that you have enjoyed the most. What was it about that role, that team, that task that you loved? From this reflection, you gain clarity and where you want to spend your time going forward! - Identify your strengths, and make them stronger!
Ask yourself what your weaknesses are and you are likely able to quickly rattle off all the nit-picky things you don’t like about yourself. But on the flip side, ask yourself what your strengths are and there is a tendency to get shy, and struggle to confidently share. Know where your natural abilities lie, and look for a career change or business venture that allows you to use those natural gifts. That way, you can spend your days feeling successful! - Have faith in yourself and your abilities.
It matters how you speak to yourself. Knowing what you value most in life, reflecting on the roles you’ve loved, and gaining clarity on where your natural strengths and abilities lie will mean nothing if you do not have faith in yourself. You need to have faith in your ability to persevere, have faith in your ability to take on a new adventure, faith in your ability to be successful. If you tell yourself that you are not capable enough, then you right. If you tell yourself that you worthy and able than you are also right. What you think is what you become! - Strive for progress, not perfection.
As you identify your next business steps, it’s time to plan. Put pen to paper and get strategic on what steps you need to take to make your dream a reality. Set a goal date and then take daily action on that plan. Understand that there will never be the perfect time, or a straight path from A to Z, the path to your ultimate business will have many left and right turns. You can take these twists and turns in stride when you use your values compass to keep you on track.
When embarking on any business change, make sure you are not running away from something but rather are running towards something, your goals! You own your life, if you don’t like it, you can change it! It takes more than just saying you want something different, it takes planned actions to move you towards your goals.
So, what’s your next step? Go make it happen!
