Paws for Thought: Simplifying Your Purpose as an Introvert Coach

I loved my cat, Foggy. He even allowed me to train him to ‘sit’ before I put his bowl down. He was so cute when he 'sat' on command and figured out how to use that in support of his purpose. Foggy felt that when I was in the kitchen, it was time for him to eat. So, when he wanted to eat, he would go to his bowl and sit down. Then he would look over his shoulder to see if I was watching. If I shook my head and said “it’s not time to eat”, he'd stay there until I either turned off the light or left the kitchen. As far as Foggy was concerned, he knew his purpose will be fulfilled sometime today. He just wanted to eat!

Wouldn’t it be great if our purpose were that simple? To just know that sometime in the near future, we would reach our goals.

Well, here’s an exercise to help you simplify your purpose. The result will shock and amaze you because it can be applied to all parts of your life and will help you make wise decisions.

1.??? Answer this question with a measurable result: What is the biggest goal for your business this year?

2.??? Next, ponder this question: How will you feel if you can accomplish this goal?

3.??? Now, blend the answer to #1 and #2, restate the answer in this way: By the end of the year I want to feel . . .

The result is this: Your purpose is to achieve the feelings you’ve expressed, which now becomes the litmus test for all decisions you will make in your life and business.

For example, when you are faced with a decision going forward, ask yourself if that situation will result in any of the feelings in your purpose. If not, then it would be best to leave it alone.

• Let’s say you are asked to volunteer, do a friend a favor, or enter into a barter relationship and you can’t see or feel any connection with your purpose (will you feel this way or that). Graciously decline!

When you can define the purpose for your business, then you will discover your purpose as a human being. By defining your purpose, keep these thoughts in mind:

• You will be happier and thus attract high-energy clients.
• Your family will see you in a different way and start to respect your business decisions.
• Most importantly, you will end the year fulfilled.

Wouldn’t you love to know that it doesn’t matter how many times someone turns off the lights on you. Just know that, as Foggy did, staying focused on your purpose will put ‘food in the bowl’.

Here are some ideas for putting 'food in the bowl', if you are new to your coaching journey:

1.??? Create an industry profile that includes the history of your industry, who the top 4 markets represent, the challenges and opportunities in your industry, the changing trends to look for, and the average income projections of your business owner peers.

2.??? Determine who the leaders are in your industry and target markets both locally and globally, and create profiles on each that includes when they started business, starting capital, current revenue, current product offerings, current services, etc.

3.??? Create a USP – unique service position – what will make you stand out as unique and attractive in the industry and to your target market. What makes your business special?

4.??? Define your target market in terms of demographics and life circumstance. Why are they attractive to you? Why would you be attractive to them?

5.??? Define your purpose by identifying where you want to be at the end of the year. What do you need to achieve to validate all your hard work and sacrifices during the past year? How do you want to feel about your business at the end of the year? The answers to these questions will help you make the best choices for your business.

Ask a VA : Systems, Processes, and Organization Hacks Saturday, September 30 from 10:00 am - 12:30 pm ET (9:00 - 11:30 am CT)

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