To download a transcription of this episode click here.
The topic I’m bringing up today is all about how business owners get stuck on the “how” when planning their goals and why remaining future-focused is so important. This, like many of my topics, comes from my own personal experience in being stuck, but there is a way out of it.
In the past two decades in working with business owners I’ve come across a lot of leaders that get stuck like this. They have problems surface and excuses as to why they can’t possibly focus on future endeavours start to spill. They don’t have a chance to think about what could be because they are choosing to remain in their current circumstances of what already is. But until we tune out all of the things that are clouding our vision for the business we want to create, we cannot move forward. Before we can ask “how” we must first know the “what” and “why”. What do you want for your business? Why do you want to pursue this?
When people come to me with marketing questions or how to grow your business questions, I stop and first ask them “What does your done business look like?”. Most people don’t really have the answer to this because they have either lost sight of their vision or simply do not have one at all. They aren’t thinking about what could be, only what already is and function in that state of mind. The reason for this being is that it’s scary to think about the future, and it should be. But it is the first step to growth.
Coming right off a big growth period right after the holidays, the first thing you might think is how you are going to do this again, how you can replicate it. But your vision should be constantly changing. It’s okay to look back and connect to the old vision and pull certain things from it, but it will always change and grow as your business does. The more you develop personally, so will your business. My big thing I like to tell people is that they do not need to learn how to own a business, but how to own their future. Figure out what it is you want out of it and move from there.
How do you go about doing this, you ask? The first thing, get your vision super clear. Ask yourself what your “done” business looks like to you and a devise plan to mirror that. Focus on the bigger picture of what a successful year would look like instead of the small, day-to-day functions that keep us stuck. Once you have it established, communicate this vision. Consistently reiterate what it is you are trying to accomplish to your employees, your leadership team, even your customers. To your staff, this will get them to own their responsibilities and their role in the business. Giving them a part in the greater good will give them a sense of purpose and maybe even a desire to step up. To your customers, the vision will come through mostly in your brand and the experience you provide them.
Second, remember that there is no path. You are carving your own along the way and it’s okay to carve it differently than everyone else. There may arise a fair amount of uncertainty, but if we let ourselves be afraid and doubt ourselves is what inhibits our growth. Own the fact that you are doing your own thing and going where no one has gone before.
The third thing you need to do is align your actions with your aspirations. Show up for yourself and your staff each and every day the way you need to in order to reflect the grander vision. If you say one thing but do another, this is negatively communicating your vision to those around you.
Now, when we set goals for ourselves, they can often seem pretty big and insurmountable and that’s when fear sets in. I have a process that I teach people that helps them to break down their large goals into smaller ones that are more easily achieved. If we give ourselves time each day to accomplish a few small things that align with our goals, then they won’t seem so big and scary. Give yourself a few hours each day that are non-negotiable. This means that between this time and this time you are going to work on something that is working towards a goal and if anything else comes up, it can wait until later. If we let our distractions take control of our lives we cannot move forward to the amazing things we are working towards.
Practice these steps and you will begin to see that you are becoming more productive than you’ve ever been. You will have more clarity on your future and what it is you want out of your business. All of the things you have wanted for so long are right around the corner, you just have to look.
If you enjoyed this episode and in some way, it inspired you to start taking action, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Send me a DM on Instagram @theresacantley and let me know what your favorite part was.
I would also love if you subscribed to the podcast and left a review at https://theresacantley.com/itunes
If there is a topic you would love me to talk about or a question you may have, send it to us at theresa@theresacantley.com and we’ll feature it on one of our future episodes.
LINKS:
Episode 44 – 5 BIG Lessons learned from 2019.
Episode 43 – The Price of Success Is Standing In Unknown Terrain.
Schedule a call with me – Click Here!
Connect with me on Instagram & Facebook!
Join me Theresa Cantley’s Business Growth Formula – Click Here!
