PLANNING for Success – Day One

It’s 2am and here I am, sitting here thinking of YOU.  No, you perv.  Not like that.

When I posted on Facebook that I had spent the afternoon listening to business & empowerment seminars and had just started reworking my business plan…I immediately got several pm’s and emails from people asking me to send them my plan.

I can’t give you My plan.  a) Its not even done yet, I’ve just started reworking it and b) what is the Ideal plan for me, won’t be what’s ideal for you.  So instead of giving you my plan, I thought I would help you come  up with your own!  Hopefully, with each other’s support, we can all come out successful in the end!

So, in today’s post I thought I would walk you through the very first steps of figuring out “Where you’re even going”.

You’re probably wondering right now WHY I’m doing a business plan when OBVIOUSLY I already have a business.  Well, in truth, my current business plan is no longer working for me.  I have been unsatisfied with my “job” for about the last 2 years.  Really.  If you look back over this blog, and for those that have been reading for a while, it’s obvious. 

I didn’t have a moment of clarity on just how unhappy I was until last week (or the week before?) though.  I was watching Oprah of all things and Wynona Judd was on.  Man, I love her.  She was talking about her life and how she had implemented changes to make her more at peace.  What got me though, was at one point she said something along the lines of…

I used to wake up with dread and say “Oh good GOD, its morning”  and now I wake up and say “Good Morning GOD!”

I wasn’t expecting to find myself covered in tears when I turned Oprah on that day.  I was expecting to sit and watch her interview one of my favorite celebrities.  What I got was a moment of clarity.  I sat there for a second and bawled.  That’s where I am.  And, where I want to be.  The truth is, my current business plan is not only no longer as profitable as it used to be, but its not fulfilling me emotionally OR spiritually.  In fact, its draining me both emotionally and creatively.

I truly believe that one doesn’t become successful by creating a business plan and sticking to it at all costs.  One becomes successful by being strong enough to chuck one’s ego at the door and admit when the current plan no longer works, and also by being brave enough to change it.

So, that is where I am at this point.  And if you’re here reading this post, looking to learn the steps to make your OWN success, than I imagine that’s where you are too.  I have officially chucked the ego out the door, admitted my current plan isn’t working and am smack in the middle of the “discovery process” to find what I need to implement to get back on track.

So, HOW AM I GOING TO DO THAT?

Well, the first step is actually pretty simple.

Quiet Reflection + Free Thinking = Aspirations & Success

You can not achieve your own personal success if you have no idea what you consider successful.  If you don’t know what is successful to YOU, how will you ever know when you’ve got there?  So, the whole purpose of today is to figure out your “end game”.

I want you to do some freewriting exercises.   Sit down and do a 15-20 minute "free thinking" session. 

Now wait.  Before you say “I don’t have time for that”…

Listen, if you can’t give up 10-15 minutes to “plan” your business, how will you ever have the time to “do” your business?  Everyone can squeeze out a few minutes in each day.  Even if it’s only when you’ve put the baby down for a nap, just loaded the dishwasher and really need to sort laundry.  If that’s the ONLY alone/quiet time you’re going to have today then you have got to take it.  I mean, no more excuses.  You have managed the time to read this far into my blog post, so the time is there.  The question is are you ready/willing to use it to better your business.

So, you’ve agreed now that you WANT this, and you have the time for this…

Just sit down with an ink pen (no pencil, no erasing!) and a stack of blank printer paper.  Across the top of the first page ask yourself "What do I like doing most, how can I incorporate that into my business"  and "What do I WANT out of my business"  These are the two most important aspects of any career.

1)  "What do I like doing most, how can I incorporate that into my business"  – what is it you enjoy doing?  what do you wish you could do in your job?

2) "What do I WANT out of my business" – what is your goal?  your endgame? profit/self fulfillment?  What does that really mean to YOU? 

Take a deep breath and start writing.  Don’t worry about sentences or anything just jot down all the ideas that pop on your head.  Don’t stop and don’t re-read during that time period.  Just jot down EVERY thought that pops in.   Don’t think, don’t stop, just GO!  Everything that pops in, put it on paper!  You may end up with 2 pages or 20 it doesn’t matter the goal here is to just get the ideas or “sparks” about “success” OUT of your head and into reality.

So this is your goal for Day One.  Tomorrow will talk about how all this scribbley mess is going to be a very useful tool in getting you a business plan that works for YOU!