Don’t Know What You Want? How can you know where you are going?
**This is the first of 8 articles on gaining clarity to create success**
Does this title strike you as odd? It seems all too obvious, yet there are so many times when creative, wide-eyed entrepreneurs come to me, feeling frustrated and beaten-down, or like a failure, because they’ve been working so hard and haven’t met any of their goals yet. Some well-meaning friends and family might advise getting a “real job” or keeping their “chin up” or have maybe even heard this story of frustration and almost making it so many times that they just don’t get it, and cannot or will not listen any more.
Guess what? Those who have never started a business from a “crazy” idea, with no money, a plan sketched-out on a bar napkin or scratch paper, just won’t understand. Take heart, you are not alone. I started my coaching business at the bidding of a colleague, who was the fourth person who suggested I should become a coach. I went and got a certification and registered an LLC with not much thought beyond wanting to help people. I had no seed money, and even less marketing. Crazy, I know.
Do I recommend this? Um…not really. But this is the way a lot of entrepreneurs start their businesses. Otherwise the ideas will swim around in their heads for years, causing them to wonder, “What if I had done that?” The typical entrepreneur doesn’t have brain space for those kinds of thoughts. So, they leap. And sometimes they (we, I) land flat on their (our, my) face. It’s OK. They (we, I) pick themselves (ourselves, myself) up and try again. One of the most endearing/frustrating/dominant traits of entrepreneurs is tenacity, mixed with a little bit of “do it now, do it now, do it now” like The Little Engine That Could. You see, when you believe in something so strongly, it can be very difficult to let it go. So, we work with what we have. And generally, the success the entrepreneur seeks manifests after getting clear about what they want.
If you are considering starting your own business, you currently have your own business, or you are struggling in some way, the questions below can help you gain clarity about what you want. Once you are clear, then you can start to work on your belief system, particularly your beliefs about success, your abilities and what is really possible. When you build upon what you already know, you solidify your foundation, which ultimately improves your chances for exquisite fulfillment and success.
My clients and I work through a series of open-ended clarifying questions when we begin our work together. There is always a period of time when they need to slow down in order to speed up. Gaining clarity, crafting a plan and knocking-out limiting beliefs and self-sabotage thoughts and behaviors along the way ultimately pay off - big time. I invite you to ask yourself the questions below, and answer honestly. I recommend that you copy and paste the questions and print them so that you can hand-write your answers. You might be surprised what you learn about yourself.
Questions:
- What do you like about what you’re doing now?
- What do you dislike about what you’re doing now?
- What is the gap between where you are and where you want to be?
- Why is it important to you to achieve your goals?
- How much is achieving your goals worth to you (in terms of money, time, energy, effort and freedom)?
Next post I will guide you on establishing your belief system, and how to work around (usually, self-imposed) roadblocks to your success.
I wish you the best of success as you find your way into what you really, truly want.
Blessings. Gratitude. Love ! TLC
If you would like to learn more about getting crystal clear on your goals and vision, and create the actions steps to achieve beyond your wildest imagination, schedule your complimentary 60 minute powerful coaching call.