Many of you have been entrepreneurs longer than I have. For the last 15 years, I have been running my life and businesses like I was going to die tomorrow. Many of you know that is how it feels with being an entrepreneur. You are only as good as your last meal (sale). There is a feverish pace that many people cannot maintain. To even have a shot at maintaining it, you need time and space.
Last week, I tried to unplug.
Since my merger and partnership with
Kirk Lowe, we made a decision to make a company, not a small business. Going long stretches without getting a real paycheck has been tough. And my creativity has been waning.Time and space are hard to find when you run everything all the time. Thankfully we have built a strong culture of professionals who embody the value we’ve created. One of those values is to be unconditionally supportive.I was at a place where I needed the support that I ask the team to give each other daily. I needed time and space.Related:
Few Advisors Spend Money on What Matters Most They accepted my desire with major support.
So here is what happened while I was communing with my own time and space: It allowed me to clarify direction, make decisions on focus, and it allowed me to hit a hard reset.There are always so many opportunities, so many rabbits to chase. There is an old saying, if you chase two rabbits, both will escape. So what is the rabbit? Which one do I chase?Figuring any of that out starts with asking yourself the right questions:
What can I do to make the biggest impact on my community? What is the highest and best use of my time? What will not only feed my business but also my soul? Can I do it? Will I be able to sustain it? How would you answer these questions?
I sat in the middle of a field with my dog and considered the personal and professional ramifications of these questions. Since I had taken the time and space, the answers came with amazing clarity. As the wind blew across the field the answers were just there.
1. What can I do to make the biggest impact on my community?
Help professionals use their voices to educate and influence their marketplace to help their community make impactful decisions about their lives.
2. What is the highest and best use of my time?
Finding new markets who want to make that impact. I need to speak about the power of the voice to as many people who will listen.
3. What will not only feed my business but also my soul?
Speaking. As much as it is a huge exertion of energy, I love it.
4. Can I do it?
Yes! I have an amazing team, business partners, and energy. I can be out meeting new people, telling them about my passion, and the power of that passion.
5. Will I be able to sustain it?
Yes! One thing I have implemented when I speak is to go to the location early and do something fun, local, and experiential.So why am I writing this? To encourage you to give yourself the gift of time and space. Take a self-assessment by asking yourself these five questions at least annually.
Why?
Because you are your greatest asset.
