1 Step to Take to Successfully Guide Your Creative Business to Your Desired Destination
If your desired business destination seems more the sort of thing dreams are made of than the reality you’re living, this is for you.
Maybe you’re feeling stuck, unable to reach your destination. Maybe you’re stalling, then returning to a safe place rather than forging ahead. Maybe you’re going round and round in circles, forgetting where you’re heading.
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “begin with the end in mind” but aren’t sure what that looks like in your creative business. Well here are a few things it doesn’t look like:
- Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.
- Working with clients who are a pain in the ass.
- Spending less time with people you love.
- Defending yourself to clients who don’t see the value in what you do.
- Working so much more for so much less.
- Struggling to find clients and projects.
- Lacking professional help and personal support.
- Being paid 1 way and 1 way only – for your time.
- Working for a business that isn’t paying you.
- All work and no play.
You know that the end you have in mind isn’t the vision of you standing there, wondering what it was all for. Yet there days when, after losing your drive, you’re standing there wondering where your business is heading and how you’ll make it there.
“We may be very busy, we may be very efficient, but we will also be truly
effective only when we begin with the end in mind.” – Stephen R. Covey
So what’s the one step you can take to successfully guide your creative business to your desired destination?
Decide where you want to go.
Sounds almost too simple, doesn’t it? But with that one decision comes clarity, confidence and success. Decide where you would like to take your business, decide where your business will take you, just decide. Begin with the end in mind.
- Decide where you’ll go.
- Determine the ways to get there.
- Pick the “shortest” route based on your starting point and priorities (e.g. time, money, personal energy).
- Take the first step.
- Take the next step, then the next, again and again until you’re reached your destination.
Where do you want to go?
- What are your income goals?
- What are your sales goals?
- How many clients would you like to have?
- How many hours per week will you work?
- How much vacation time would you like?
What’s your vision for the creative business of your dreams? Begin with the end in mind. Decide.
About the author, Kelly
Kelly Galea is a creative, multi-passionate entrepreneur and luminary blessed with a unique combination of wit, grit, intellect and intuition. She helps you navigate the work-life maze of ever-shifting priorities and transform your life through holistic self-discovery techniques and immersive, fun and magical mini-quests. Working with Kelly will inspire you to unveil, express and celebrate your vital personality and lifestyle preferences to create a more harmonious life.
I love this: Take the next step, then the next, again and again until you’re reached your destination. Gotta do the work to get there!
It’s also worthwhile to look and see how much you’ve accomplished even if you are still far from your goal. Keeps you positive and motivated to continue.
Thanks, Delia. Yep, you gotta do the work to get there! Taking time to see how much you’ve accomplished – and rewarding yourself for those accomplishments – definitely helps keep you positive & motivated to continue. Thanks for sharing!
You know, even though ‘begin with an end in mind’ IS simple, it is worthy of a reminder for SURE! Otherwise we tend to get caught up in tasks and activity having no relationship to our goals. Thanks for that reminder!
So true, Carolan. Then suddenly, it’s the end of the day & we feel like we haven’t accomplished a thing!
Oh boy, this is definitely for me! I’ve been stalling…stepping out and then running back to safe ground, but I recently decided to get out of my comfort zone and it’s scary and overwhelming. Thanks for your post!
Way to go, Sharon! Yes, everything we want is usually just outside of our comfort zone. You have lots of friends and support here to help with the fear & overwhelm, too.
I’ve definitely started doing this in my own life. I always ask the question “Does this task help me accomplish my goal or does it just take up my time?” Thanks for sharing your tips!
Great to hear, Sarah! Isn’t it wild when we discover how many things are just taking up time and not moving us closer to our goals?