Most people running a solo or small enterprise are doing so for a many reasons - from personal fulfilment in following a passion, to the freedom which making your own decisions on your own terms brings.
While the internet & technology can help in allowing being more freer and mobile within a business, it can also provide a multitude of distractions, possible opportunities and information which can set us either off course, or in a time wasting direction. So now is a good time to take stock.
My 3 R's start with reflection, as the holiday season provides the perfect opportunity just to stop for a little while.
Reflect
Reflection is quite a soft activity. It is less about setting aside time to reflect, and more about allowing reflection to happen by being less busy and being out of the normal routine. Catching up with family, spending social time with friends - all gives us time to see what has happened in others' lives, gain inspirations (or warnings!), and reassess our own views about what is important and how our year has been.
Simply allow the thoughts to present themselves, let them go, or capture them if you have any epiphanies (or just good ideas).
Review
After a period of reflection, you may feel you are ready to apply something a bit more active and conscious to your thoughts.
Have you felt that there are areas in your life and/or work which you have decided need readjustment? What goals or values are you reviewing against?
For example, it is important to me that my business supports my greater life goals and values. These are: contributing meaningfully to others, having a successful and multiple income stream which does not involve my physical presence, and having geographic mobility. All business opportunities, ideas and activities need to show they contribute to these goals in some way before I act on them.
When your goals are really clear, any opportunities and/or distractions can be easily assessed against this criteria. You need to be careful what you ask for as this is what you create. Do you want more work? Or do you want more income or freedom of lifestyle? The two are not the same and reviewing opportunities against your clearly identified goals allows for a very quick assessment.
Is it your goals and purpose which need to change or be clarified, or is it the way you are working towards them which need to change?
If you don't have clear goals and purpose - then this is really worth taking the time to do.
Re-Focus
Once my review is complete, I can then refocus. I find writing things down really helps - what do I need to start doing, what do I need to stop doing. It may be scary as perhaps I have invested time and energy in something which now needs to be dropped. But that is ok - it is essential to stop doing the things which no longer server my purposes, no matter how comfortable or automatic they are. What will they be?
I don't know yet, but I look forward to having the talk with myself.
What things are you going to stop or start so you are more aligned with your greater purpose?
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