As I write this post, the flood levels are rising in Brisbane, Ipswich and surrounding areas. I live in Brisbane. This is my town. And every time I check Twitter or Facebook I see another colleague, friend or connection affected … in a major way. In this context it is a gross understatement to say one reviews their priorities. The business goals I set enthusiastically in the first week of January fade in importance as I embrace my boys and my husband in the safety of our unaffected home … and I welcome into my home indefinitely my sister and brother-in-law, who most certainly will lose their house only blocks from the river. Yet, after the waters recede, the residents start the clean-up and the city returns to a ‘different’ kind of normal … life for those of us ‘unaffected’ will continue … status quo.
So my new focus for the year is becoming ‘WHY?’ ‘Why do I do what I do?’
‘Why do I have the goals that I have?’ No, it’s not a ‘oh my goodness, my life up until now has been a waste of time’ … instead, for me, it’s a very personal connection to what is really important to me … and how I live my life, and build my business, to reflect those priorities. WHY do I want to build a reliable revenue stream based on online workshops and classes? Because it will give me more time to spend with my family. WHY do I want to finally launch an ebook? It’s no longer just so I have productised some of my IP … it’s so I have a revenue stream that isn’t depedent on a geographical (local) market. WHY do I want to teach people how to strategically use social media platforms? Because the divide between those who are connected and those who aren’t is growing … and those who aren’t will get left behind in more ways than just numbers of ‘friends’. It is those themes of ‘why’ that I’m currently using to stay focused and motivated on my business goals … striving for ‘utlimate emotional, financial and physical outcomes’, not just milestones. For me it’s a subtle yet significant distinction … as my task-based list of goals gains emotional ‘bite’. The WHY you do what you do is a critical driver in business behaviour, motivation and inspiration. It keeps you on track, focussed and congruent with your wider life values. So my question for you today is ‘WHY do you do what you do?’ ‘WHY are you building the business that you are?’ ‘WHY are you striving for your current goals?’ WHY?
