Am I really in business for myself?

When looking at your business, perspective is your frame of reference.

• Your business is not life and death
• Your business will not live or die based on the amount of time you dedicate to it.
• Your business will not kiss you goodnight, tuck in your children at night or kick the winning goal for your team.

Business is business – yes it is. But life is for living, growing, learning and living up to your potential – which is endless.

If it was easy everyone would be doing it

When you set out to be in business for yourself did it look like this? Did you sit down and say this is going to be what my life looks like without the boss around my shoulders all the time?

When you stop and think about the business you’ve created, or let’s face it, the job you created for yourself, do you ever think, “what can I do to get things back on the course I created when I set out?”

What you can do to get things back on track

Here are some actions you can take right now to move you back to where you wanted to be:

1. Agree with yourself that you want this business to be a business. Or concede that you bought yourself a job and stop feeling bad about it – and start enjoying it.
2. If you are keen to have a business, set down the clear lifestyle goal you have. That is, “what will this business give me, what does my life look like?”
3. Draw this picture every single day, either in actual pictures or in the most vivid word picture you can make. Do it every day – otherwise admit it is a job and enjoy it.
4. Once this is crystal clear for you, make yourself accountable. A goal shared is a goal that will and can be achieved. If you don’t share it then “the same old lawbreaker, you” will simply do all they have done in the past and not change a thing. Share with someone who will support you and care enough to call you on the activities you are doing.
5. Now complete a section of your business plan. One that you will look at every day. This plan needs to be an action plan – small steps every single day.  Complete the section that tells anyone who wants to know why your business is in business.
6. In the first four days, take one action in your plan that is different to what you have been doing previously.
7. Do this for another four days and another four days. Soon it will be “first nature” to operate this way.

If you need some help with how to write a business plan, Business Essentials is happy to help. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a crack on your own. Nor is there anything wrong with putting your hand up for help.