As Entrepreneurs, Professionals and Business owners our days are spent wrestling with the urgent.
Solving problems, answering questions and fighting back worry consumes our lives and “If only” becomes our focus. If only I had more resources, better people, more clients or a unique competitive edge I would finally be able to rest. Justifying the daily pain because it’s the price you must pay for choosing not to work for someone else.
Time passes and your ability to withstand the day to day weakens.
You end up living for the transient satisfaction of a good day here and a bad day there, good month, bad month, good employee, bad employee, the cycle never ends, rest seems even more unattainable – small business pain is relentless. Small Business owners and Professionals make the mistake of getting up and going off to work another day instead of slowing down and asking themselves why and to what end am I doing all this?
The most important Business question is: How will I know when the work on my business is complete?
In other words, done, finished, able to give me the personal and financial freedom I dreamed of when this journey began. As a Business Coach, I must ask my clients tough questions like these at the beginning of our time together. Most owners have never considered the answer because business is work and the work never ends. I remind them that if your business is just about work, you don’t have a commercial enterprise you have a job. Unfortunately, you’re working for a maniac, you!
The road to business mastery and business success begins with a clear picture of your result.
I remind my clients that a goal without a timeline is just a wish. If the business is a game and games have rules, there has to be a clear way of winning. A business with no time component or way to win is an exercise in futility.
In the end, it’s not simply about money or control, the real purpose of a business is to give you, the owner, more life.
What that means might be different in every person, but it must be explored and clarified or everything else a Business Coach can do to grow your company becomes just more work — the why is more important than how. So before you get up and go to work in your company tomorrow take the time to answer these questions, why am I doing this and what kind of life do I demand in return for my time and energy. Then seek out a good Business Advisor to accelerate the process of achieving those goals.
I have a saying “Every day a little stronger.”
In other words, a day that was hard but brought you a little closer to your goal is better than a day spent solving random recurring issues. There is no reason to face the daunting challenges of business ownership alone. Decide, surround yourself with the right people, finish your business, build the life you want and win the game!
