Fundamentals of Business: Know Yourself

Everybody is passionate about their ideas in the beginning. And while this bucket of energy and enthusiasm is essential in speeding you through a hard week, passion alone will not provide the scaffolding a successful small business or side hustle demands. My own experience has shown we utilise a stack of buckets everyday, delving into inspiration, strategy, mental energy, idea agility, communication, skill development and consulting as each situation rears its head. No, it’s not enough to be passionate. 

Above all, you must be honest. 

What do I mean by honesty? 

While business transparency is increasingly important from an operational, legal and customer-facing perspective, I’m talking about internal honesty.

Knowing oneself.

Small businesses only reach the next level if you’re clear on who you are, what you want and where you want to be. Sure, “know yourself” seems like odd advice, especially since you spend time with yourself everyday, but it’s essential to take a moment now and stop, think and document what makes you tick. What could you improve? What are your blind spots? What have you learned from yourself over the last 12 months? We never know ourselves completely, because the selves we will become over the course of our lives are not yet accessible to us - and that’s why reflective discovery is important to business success. 

We need to know how we’ll act, react and think today instead of using the past as an indicator of the future. 

How can you get started?

Think about the things that invigorate you. Things that you have discovered that you don’t enjoy, things that you really struggle with, things that you simply won’t do because it does not align with your values. Next, explore what you love – stuff you find easy to do. Think big – don’t limit yourself to interests that could turn into hobbies, but make sure it all sits well with your beliefs. If you wake tomorrow, doing what you presumably love, will it bring you joy in life? Will you feel grateful and excited, even when the newness wears off? 

Not sure yet? Let’s find out why purpose is important together. 

Keep your eyes on the prize with a stated purpose.

While my free webinar covers defining the problem, knowing your end goal and identifying what could be missing, none of these can be achieved without a comprehensive understanding of your business purpose. Why? Your purpose is your compass, shedding light on what you want to achieve in the short and long term, even when the path forward is uncertain, forked or hidden.  

Why am I telling you this before you watch the webinar? 

People find defining their purpose challenging. Some are confronted, others are exhilarated. 

Knowing how to navigate your way through this very first step will enable you to surge forward, rather than sitting in a space that feels like you are going around and around in circles. Humans are driven by a sense of purpose - without it, we become a little lost - and while this blog isn’t a toolkit for defining your purpose here and now, rest assured - you WILL have the arsenal you need to unstick yourself in those tricky situations by the end of my webinar. Purpose drives momentum and momentum is informed by our vision. 

Wait, is vision the same as purpose?

I am sure that you have seen and heard this term being used a lot, and I suspect that in every instance it has had a slightly different meaning. Generally, a vision is the change we aspire to make in the world, utilising our goals, desires and inspirations to complete the work behind the idea. Visions are informed by what we say, what we do and how we act. 

Why do you need a business vision?

Shared visions have substantial transformative power. Defining a vision statement now will help you encapsulate your values, aspirational and goals in short, clear and connective language. 

It doesn’t need to be complicated, in fact, it probably shouldn’t be. Some of the most effective visions are recalled with ease and instantly understood. Think of it as the first sentence in your business story - people need to understand what it says, why it’s important and how it relates to them before they take notice. When we can understand what people are looking to achieve, or what problem people are looking to solve, we can then place ourselves in their shoes and become part of that journey. 

Eager to get started? Intrigued by vision development?  Define your vision and articulate your purpose with my Business Fundamentals Webinar.