With so many conflicting graphics, memes, and posts going around on the internet telling us how to act and feel, it can be hard to remember your purpose within and outside of your business. This episode goes over the ins and outs of our ‘whys’... aka the passion & purpose behind our hopes, dreams, and goals.
=> CLICK THE PLAYER BELOW TO LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE ON THE BLISS PODCAST
iTunes | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher
Show Notes:
As we are all sitting at home surfing the web during quarantine, we are seeing so many graphics and memes going around. One that I saw recently really resonated with me. It said, “If you do not leave quarantine with new skills, your side hustle started or more knowledge, you've never lacked time, you've lacked discipline.” When I first read that I was thinking, oh yeah that is a truth bomb right there! But, in reality, this is a really crazy time and that is a lot of pressure to put on people. These posts try to inspire others to move forward but a lot of them are coming across as shaming.
A time like no other.
At any other time in my business, or in the world, I would say that that post is absolutely true. What is the number one biggest excuse from the people that we work with? Time. They don't have enough time. Right now it seems like we have an abundance of it. But, this isn’t a normal time. None of us have done business like we have to now. Even those businesses that are solely online have never done it in a world like this. A world where people have restrictions, and where people are not able to work. We have a lot of fear in our world right now, and it’s going to affect everyone’s business even those who normally work exclusively online.
No Excuses.
I’ve been thinking about the theme of that graphic that I was reading. As I explored that thought I realized that to be an entrepreneur you have to have that warrior mindset, that no excuses way of thinking. You have to figure it out. We’ve talked about this in our previous podcast, people are afraid, freezing, and stopping. And yes, you may not be able to do business exactly like you did before but this is the time to get creative and pivot your business. And like that post says, this is the time to pull on your big girl pants and get going.
Are you allowing yourself to succeed?
I have been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember. None of my successes came easily. None of it fell into my lap. One of the reasons I chose to be involved in the network marketing company was because I loved that no one could tell me whether or not I was going to be successful or not. The sky was the limit and it was completely up to me. When you get to that point no one can have control over you.
At some point you have to stop and ask, what do I want to do. Do you want someone else to have control over your life and livelihood? Do you want to work for yourself? Do you want to have the say? We have been able to take some of our side hustles and turn some of them into full time jobs and it has been such a blessing.
Dig deep, and get creative.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur or you’ve been laid off, or whatever it is. You have to dig deep and decide what you are going to do differently. A true entrepreneur can get creative and make things happen no matter what. One clever example that comes to mind involved photographers. I’ve seen it in a few different cities and states where they are offering porch photography. You get your family sitting on the porch of your house and they are just going around these neighborhoods taking pictures. There are so many things that people can do. You just have to step out of that idea of fear and think about what you can do in the meantime.
Someone told me years ago that the only thing that will make a difference between where you are now and where you want to be is YOU. I am really big at taking complete ownership of where you're at. Yes, all of the things that are going on around you, you can’t control but you can absolutely control you.
Remember warriors, can do hard things and entrepreneurs are warriors. This is the time that entrepreneurs are born. If you have been itching to make that shift, now is the time.
What is your ‘why’?
At the core, your why is that burning in your belly. That passion, and drive that keeps you moving even when things get hard.
Think about some of these questions: What is getting you out of bed in the morning? What is getting you excited? What is the purpose behind it?
For example, when I was teaching school, my ‘why’ was the difference I was making in these kids lives. I didn't always love the actual lessons I had to create, but I did love the PURPOSE behind it. This is so so important ladies!
What happens when life changes?
One important thing to remember is your why (or what motivates you) can change over time. When I was creating my first 'why', it was because I wanted to stop teaching, do my side hustle full time, provide a good income, and have some freedom. Well a few years later, I hit my goal! I had everything I had set out to do...I had to discover again, why I wanting to keep going and create even more. It's important that you are continuing to dig deep and discover a new why that will help you continue to move forward.
How do you rediscover your ‘why’?
Asking yourself some good questions can be useful and help you with the goals you're working towards. One important question is, do you stay motivated or inspired long term and what do you do when you are falling into ruts in your business. Is this ‘why’ pulling you out of that rut or are you just sitting there. At this time, this is a rut for everyone, for the world. We are all going through the same thing.
Another question is, do you lack consistent excitement for your business. Maybe you get excited and by the end of the week you're not excited anymore. Or maybe you're excited for a month and the next month you're not. That's a clue that you have not been digging deep enough to find your true ‘why’.
Why is your ‘why’ so important?
When I first started as an entrepreneur, one of my first mentors would constantly tell me, you need to get really clear on your ‘why’. I thought that was such "fluff". In my mind, I just needed to work hard and hustle, hustle, hustle. I wanted them to give me a plan and to let me execute it. That works to a degree, but when it gets hard and we have times like this where we don't know what is happening, we’ve got to have that fire of ‘why’ we are doing this in our belly. This is what is going to help provide that creativity and allow us to pivot. You have a bigger dream and purpose that you are reaching for. One little setback is not going to get you down. You know that you just need to shift here and you can keep moving.
The stronger someone's ‘why’ is, the stronger their passion and purpose, the more people are attracted to them. Whether its clients or business partners, or even family members wanting to support you. When they can see and feel that passion and drive, it gets them ready and excited to support you even more.
To get really clear on your "why", download our simply why worksheet.
Are you working your business and being authentically you? Are your strengths & talents used to their best abilities? Come take our FREE quiz to discover your business style and we’ll also send you some free resources to help you embrace and incorporate your style into your business or project.