Are you having trouble working ‘on’ your business? Do you feel like you are in control, or do you feel like it is starting to get away from you? Have you lost your focus?
Is your daily activity a full time job that is monopolising your time? Does it seem very difficult to get everything done? Is it hard to find the time and space just to get you head around it?
What do you really want to do and achieve? What would you really love to be doing instead?
It does not matter if you are just starting your business or if you are up and running and are already established. Feeling in control of your direction and maintaining focus is sometimes hard to do, especially when you always tied up doing the ‘busy jobs’.
As a starting point, there is one really important facet of your business that you can begin to work on... It underpins everything you do, and it will help you maintain your focus and direction.
It is your ‘Why’. Some people call it your passion; some call it your vision. It is ‘Why you do what you do’. It is based on your passion, your vision and your values and is the reason you wanted to start your business in the first place.
A lot of business owners know intrinsically why they started their business in the first place. However, the problem is that in many cases they have either forgotten about it or it got lost in the day to day. Or in some cases they never took the time to really think about it. Most have never written it down, and if they did, it is tucked away in their very first business plan ever written never to be seen again.
Why is the ‘Why’ so important? The thing is, if you do not understand why you are doing what you are doing, how will you be able to inspire others to join you? This includes your team as well as your clients.
There are many reasons for clearly understanding your ‘why’. As you start to think about your why, you may find that it will develop and evolve, then, as you work on it, it will become more apparent and more refined. Eventually, as you become really clear. Once you are clear and have written your ‘why’ down, it will form the foundation of your business.
It is a straight forward concept however, it does take a bit of thought and some work to refine it. It is more about a bigger picture; beyond your goals, it is the reasons behind what you are trying to achieve.
In order for you to regain your focus... first, know your ‘why’. This is based on your passion, your vision and your values. It is what gets you out of bed in the morning, what drives you. To help you discover and or clarify you why, it may be easier to list what you are passionate about, and list what it is that you value most.
Being clear will enable you to communicate your ‘why’, your purpose, to your team, your clients and most importantly your market... By modifying your why, you can create a powerful message for your business. This will be the core of your business and your communication and will inspire others.
Clarity about your vision is a lot more than ‘what’ you are doing... Your clarity of purpose and your passion will keep you focused on what is important to you, and what you are working to ultimately achieve.
