Here in northern California it’s summer! The sky is bright, the fog is rolling chill, and I don’t know about you, but I’m yearning to be in my garden checking whether the birds ate the new seedlings and if the stakes are holding as the tomatoes ripen. Maybe that’s why I’m compelled to begin our focus today on passion….
Why ignite the flame of passion in our business?
Many entrepreneurs I coach report that so many things get in the way of them building and growing their businesses. Our kids needs, our parent’s needs, survival needs, everything seems to come first. Some times it’s just overwhelming, and we all wonder if we will ever just be able to focus enough on creating our business to have it succeed….That’s when getting back to the tap-root of our passion is so important. It can really pull us through!
You are the source of the best ideas about how to build your business momentum. The Tips and Traps Exercise that follows will give you a chance to make up some fresh and new next steps and strategies for your own business growth, in the vital areas of:
• Your passion (yup, let’s start there!)
• Your strengths and limitations
• Accurate priorities and
• Effective communications
In this exercise, yes, you’ll be the expert, giving your own best tips to yourself! In addition, you’ll be pointing out some of the potential traps that catch you and hold you down. Try it, answer the questions and you’ll be amazed, it works wonders and will provide all this fodder for you to put to work for you in building your business momentum!
1. Passion Tip – What am I most passionate about in my business?
(Example: I’m passionate about helping women gain confidence, self-trust and fuller self expression in building their businesses.)
Passion Trap – When the flame of passion is diminished, what can I do to re-ignite it?
(Example: When my passion flame is dim, I can re-read some past testimonials of clients to help me remember the difference that I’m making in women’s lives.)
2. Strengths Tip – What are my strengths that are needed now to build my business momentum?
(Example: My strengths needed now in building my business
momentum are enthusiasm, generosity, willingness to learn new things.)
Strengths Trap – What are the self-imposed limits that keep me from creating business momentum?
(Example: Some limits I impose on myself are when I don’t trust my instincts and intuition and value someone else’s ideas more than my own. Or when I don’t speak up when I have something useful to contribute in a situation.)
3. Accurate Priorities Tip – What are my highest leverage, most important priorities to build my business momentum now?
(Example: My highest leverage priority is to follow up all the leads that have been given to us, and my most important priority is to make sure that our next public event is well attended.)
Accurate Priority Trap – When I’m off track with my priorities, what do I need to do to get back on track?
(Example: When I’m off track, sometimes I need to get some extra rest and sleep, or I need to spend quality time with my husband, and/or sit down and have some quiet time at my desk to sort things out.)
4. Effective Communications Tip – What do I need to communicate and to whom to build my business momentum?
(Example: I need to communicate with the upcoming event volunteers to make explicit requests and give them directions.)
Effective Communications Trap – What are some strategies I could employ when communications break down in my business?
(Example: I could ask for a sane third party’s help, and I could calm down and write an email apologizing for my outburst.)
Hooray for you, especially if you took the few minutes required to answer the questions! Go and give yourself a treat of some kind and celebrate this kind of clarity. You can have it all the time, when you make yourself the priority.
You may want to take another 5 minutes and translate your answers to the questions above into “to-do’s” on your list of actions and to-do’s in whatever system you utilize to stay organized.
I love to hear ways that these business momentum exercises are making a difference for you and welcome all your comments!