We're not the same as we were in 2019. The world has changed. We have all changed. A few years will do that, nevermind a few years of shut downs and upheaval. A lot of us have done a lot of pivoting and adjusting over the past few years, adapting to the new normal again and again. 

Maybe your business took a hit (a hard one in some sectors). Maybe you found a new niche that worked for a time. Maybe you found a new niche you want to stick with. 

Or maybe you aren’t quite sure what you do anymore or why you do it. 

I keep talking with people who are ready to quit their business and just get a job or who want to burn it all down. I keep talking with people who are doing what they’ve been doing, but they are overwhelmed and burnt out and wondering why they’re doing this. 

Let’s stop and remember our purpose.

Let’s get intentional about our vision for the impact we want to have.

It’s time to take stock of what’s working and what’s not, what we love doing and what is draining us. 

It’s time to re-define what our business is all about and how we want to run it now. 

Take Time for Visioning

Most of us don’t take the time to vision or plan. I talk a lot about how making time to plan saves us time in the end, but before we plan we actually need time to vision. 

Sometimes we get so caught up in all the things we need to do, that we lose sight of

the big picture. 

One question I like to ask is: Am I building a house I want to live in? 

These are some other questions to help you revision your business: 

• What are your values? What is your purpose? (These are often related and form the foundation of your business.) 
• Why did you start your business? Why do you want to run your business now?
• What do you want to spend your time doing? What do you want your day to look like? 
• What is your zone of genius?
• What does growth mean to you?
• What impact do you want to make? 
• What’s working really well right now? 
• What isn’t working? 

Read these questions, then take a walk or a shower. Let them rumble around in your head for a bit. Then schedule some quiet, uninterrupted time (a Focus Session would be perfect, just saying) to answer these questions. 

Some of these questions, like how you want to spend your time and what’s working right now, might apply to life outside of your business too. Go ahead and give the full picture. Our vision for our life affects lots of things including our revenue expectations, how we structure our time, where we work, and what we do.

Sometimes taking the time to think through big-picture questions like these brings the clarity you need. Sometimes it helps to talk things through. Pick a good listener to talk through your vision and what you think that means for your business. Talk with a coach for more clarity or to get past sticking points. 

Get Inspired and Then Take Action

Getting re-engaged with your why can help add energy to work that might be feeling stale or overwhelming. Rethinking what you want to do and how you want to do it takes you out of reaction mode and puts you back in CEO mode. When you know where you are heading, decisions about goals and projects make more sense. 

Your visioning session might bring up a LOT of ideas. I know mine usually do. Reminder: You don’t have to do it all now. You don’t have to do it all ever. 

You can keep it simple. 

You can do less better (sometimes I’ve started saying just Do Less). 

You can repurpose materials you already have. 

You can delegate and systematize. 

You can plan and find focus time for the things that matter most. 

Everything has changed. Let’s get excited about what’s next!