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A Business Success Framework That Works
Perhaps you're thriving in your personal life but you've hit a rut in your business. Maybe you hit a wall or an impasse and it feels like you can't take your business to the next level. Whether you are in the early phases of building your business, you already have a business but want to scale it further, or you have a thriving business but want to impact even more people, these steps will get you to that next level.
I can't tell you how many times clients come to me with the same question, with all these big ideas, how do I choose where to focus? These steps will help you determine precisely where to focus your time. They will clarify what you should be saying no to as well. If you are ready to get laser focused in your business, then I challenge you to implement these today.
Step #1: Build Your Compass
You Life and Business Compass consists of two key areas:
- Your top 5 Life Priorities
- 3 Areas of Business Focus this Quarter
You might be wondering why you life priorities are included in your business compass. That's a great question! It's important to have a clear picture of your life priorities to ensure that you are building a business that supports your life. You want to make sure everything is in alignment. Your 3 Areas of Business Focus should be written as goals that are measurable, attainable, have a deadline, and are specific.
Once you have these all written out, you are probably wondering how to use this. You want to put it in a format you can easily read and see. Once you have that, print it and post it somewhere that you see it daily. You might even take a picture of it and make it your screensaver as a reminder of your focus.
Now that you have your compass, you should use it. Use it to make decisions. When asked to make a commitment to something that has nothing to do with your compass, you should gracefully decline. We can't do it all. But we can do everything on our compass if we are intentional. The more you say yes to things that aren't on your compass, the more you are forcing yourself to say no to the things that are on your compass and ultimately the activities that will give you the biggest gains.
After all, the more we consistently make good decisions, the ones leading use closer to our goals, then we begin to gain momentum and things start to get easier as we go.
Exercise:
- Find a quiet place for reflection and thinking.
- Write out your life priorities. Keep it to only five.
- Map out your top 3 business goals. Yes, ONLY three.
- Make sure everything is aligned. For example, if you want to spend time with your family, you want to make sure you aren't traveling too much for work or putting in too many work hours. Make sure your life priorities and business goals are in harmony.
- Once you have it final, put into a document and print it or design it and post it somewhere you can see it every day.
- BONUS: Make it a screensaver on your phone or computer as a daily reminder to focus on what's important.
Step #2: Invest in Your Future
Now that you have your compass and you know what you are marching towards, it is important to make sure you are continually investing in your growth and education. Imagine if you could improve 1% a day, you would gain 365% that year. And then imagine how much faster you would go if you hired someone to help you stay focused and on track.
Have you ever noticed someone else who is getting the results you are seeking much faster? It's usually because they have invested in themselves. They have found someone to work with who is just 2 steps ahead of them. All of the successful people in the world have mentors and coaches.
Some strategies for finding the right mentor or coach:
- Identify where you are stuck
- Reflect on where you need to grow (i.e. what are your weakest skills)
- Make a list of the attributes you would want from your coach or mentor
- Reflect on how you want to work with your coach or mentor
- Start meeting with and getting to know potential coaches
- Get out there and find the best fit for you
I will tell you that this is a game changer but it's not magic. When I was looking for my business coach, it took me some time. I was very clear on what I was looking for in my coach but I had to meet a lot of coaches that were not the right fit to finally find my ideal coach. Don't give up though. It's the best investment I've made with my time and money in business hands down.
Step #3: Visualize to Vocalize
While you may not be big on visualization, I have found it to be a game changer. So instead, if you prefer, I'd like you to imagine with me or brainstorm with me. Imagine your perfect day and what it would look like. How would you spend your mornings, afternoons, and evenings. In a perfect world, how much time are you doing creative work, how much time are you with loved ones, etc.?
The more time you spend visualizing or imagining your ideal day, ideal client, and reaching your goals, the more clarity you uncover. Visualization is powerful because it helps you to better vocalize. It allows you to articulate your goals, dreams, and vision more clearly. It helps you express what's inside of your mind more clearly. It sharpens your marketing because you are more in touch with your ideal client. It clarifies your niche as you are clear on how you serve your clients. It helps you stay focused on your most pressing needs. And finally, visualization keeps you motivated as you are breathing life into your biggest goals each day or each week.
Exercise:
Visualize your perfect day. Imagine what it will feel like, look like, sound like, and so on. How are you spending your time? Who are you spending it with? What activities are you working on in the morning, afternoon, and evening? How much are you enjoying each activity?
Then write down what stood out the most. If your ideal day is dramatically different than your current schedule, consider making some shifts to improve it. Incrementally get it closer to your ideal routine.
Step #4: Focus & Win!
Each morning ask yourself, "what is the most important thing I can work on today that will make everything else on my to do list easier or unnecessary"? What is that top priority and biggest needle mover for you? Then write it down, remove all distractions and get that ONE thing done.
To remove distractions, consider going offline, closing your email browser, shutting off alerts, putting your phone on airplane mode, putting a do not disturb sign up on your door or cube. Focus requires working on ONE task at a time. And with technology and cell phones, it is so easy to get pulled into the rabbit hole of distractions. You look up and realize you've lost hours of time and you're not sure where it went.
Be intentional with your time. The night before, you might even outline your top priority and block schedule out your day so you are able to remain focused and get the key activities done. The goal is to stop multi tasking because multi tasking diminishes our energy rapidly. It doesn't work and it's ineffective. You will find you get much more accomplished when you focus on one thing at a time.
Action Steps:
- Build Your Compass & Print It
- Find a Coach or a Mentor to Help You Grow
- Visualize to Gain Clarity for Your Business & Life
- Commit to Focus
I would love to hear how this success model works for you. If you're willing to share, please add a comment.
Need Support?
Sometimes this process can feel daunting. Some of us may need more one on one help. Most of my clients feel this way. I am here to partner with you in creating attainable action steps side by side to get you to your desired destination. Schedule a complimentary Total Transformation Discovery session with me today!
Some Resources to Support You:
- Register today for the Confusion to Clarity Masterclass!
- The ONE Thing by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan
- Essentialism by Greg McKeown
