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By JuJuan Buford
If you find yourself feeling disenchanted with your business, it’s not an abnormal feeling. We’ve all been there. However, when you feel overwhelmed or exceptionally bored with the overhead of being an entrepreneur…
o·ver·head : the boring, monotonous everyday chores like cold calling, checking emails, responding to low priority conflicts, dealing with people who are not ideal clients or prospects, repeated conversations regarding company expectations that you assume your business partners, vendors, and staff would get by now, etc., etc.,
For days at a time, and it reaches a point where you aren’t able to summon the enthusiasm to serve your clients, be what your business requires of you, and grow your enterprise we have a problem.
When I observe these behaviors in established, beta-tested entrepreneurs or I discover an inability or lack of willingness on the part of a new entrepreneur to invest the necessary energies to launch their venture (or the question of “I don’t know what to do.”), it usually boils down to incongruence between a person’s core focus and the work.
We all understand on a base level what it feels like or what it means to be doing meaningful work that fills us with satisfaction, versus the drudgery of toiling at something that doesn’t energize or motivate us. The challenge is most entrepreneurs (gasp!) haven’t taken the time to identify what really matters to them. Most of us are spending our mental energies attempting to be, move, attire, and adorn ourselves in the expectations of others… to a fault.
Too many of us are scared.
But it takes real courage to live a life of satisfaction. The degree to which we live truly happy, fulfilling lives shrinks or expands in relationship to our willingness to live in our values and truths. And very few of us have taken the time to truly define what we truly value. What truly gives us energy. Nice watches, cars, yachts, shoes, or fierce competition may be your thing. You may enjoy helping people and the altruistic desire to help others achieve their utmost potential may drive you. You want to end world hunger or water scarcity. The pursuit of knowledge, skill, and power may empower you. Or you simply desire that every day be an extended vacation in Maui, having fun, sipping wine, and listening to the waves. Do YOU.
The other challenge. It’s tiring. Your brain only comprises 2% of your human body weight but spends 25% of your energy. And very similar to a muscle, the harder you work it the more fatigued, agitated, or frustrated many of us become. Defining your values and your why is a skilled trade and it is a process. However, here are a couple of questions to help you with your journey.
#1. What Are Your Values or What Do You Value? Examples… Make a list and choose only three.
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I’m committed to God and country
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I’m an excellent parent
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I believe in education
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I exemplify excellence and professionalism
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I’m committed to financial independence and prosperity
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I believe community service is how you pay for the blessing of living bountiful society
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I value freedom, choice, and agency
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I value enjoying life and having fun
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I value the earth’s environment
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I love dancing and being sunshine to others
#2. What is the one thing you could do that would have the greatest impact on the lives of others?
#3. What are the top three things you could do personally that would make the greatest impact in your life?
#4. What kind of person do you want to be? And by extension, what kind of business do I want to build?
#5. What activities have I most enjoyed doing in my professional life?
#6. What are the skills, knowledge, or talents that I possess? What do people say I’m highly effective at?
#7. What is my core focus or the focus of my business? Why does your business exist beyond being profitable? Make a list and choose only three.
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To help people live lives of satisfaction through entrepreneurship
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To help women overcome financial, relationship, & emotional distress
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To help men adopt & sustain a healthy mindset
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To serve the best, most smacking waffles ever known
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To help people achieve optimal physical performance
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To use my art to make people smile and forget their worries
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To help people learn how to forgive and progress through trauma.
The answers to these questions are where your power, your energy, and the best use of your focus and time lie. As you answer these questions you’ll begin to see the same themes, ideas, activities, and subjects emerge.
Remember, answering these questions is a process and people who’ve already performed this exercise numerous times already will need at least a couple of hours to complete it. You may need to seek feedback or converse with a business consultant to help you navigate this process.
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