Where are you going?

And how will you know when you get there?

In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Stephen Covey tells us to “Begin with the end in mind.” It is good advice in business and in life; many people have said it in many different ways, but this crucial principle remains the same. We must have a clear idea of where we are going and what we want to achieve in our life. As an entrepreneur it will be difficult to separate your life goals and business goals; but the process of creating that vision and getting clear on the most important things you want to focus on will always be rewarding. You have to make your own map, chart your own course, because no one else is going to be able to do it for you.

In order to really create a meaningful set of goals, and ensure the things you land on are inspiring and motivating to you, you have to start by looking within. There is no one else who can tell you what is most important for you and for your life. There is no one else who can tell you exactly what you should achieve in your business. There is no one else who can tell you what details you need to include to inspire yourself into action. But by digging in and examining the things that matter most to you, the picture starts to become more clear. When you set aside the need to compare yourself to others, or measure your business by the standards that someone else has set, you gain real clarity on the things that mean the most to you and you can begin the process of committing to them. These goals are there to inspire you, to serve you in the life that you want to live, so you are the only one who can say what they will be. You have to be honest with yourself in deciding what really matters to you, and how committed you are to achieving the various parts of this work; including goals that you aren’t committed to only leads to less impactful goals overall, and less chance you’ll achieve any of them.

This idea is critical in the work I do with my clients and can be a major indicator as to how successful we’ll be in our work together. The ability to paint a clear picture of the life and business that you want gives you an enormous advantage compared to someone who is blindly going through the motions day-to-day. Knowing exactly where you are headed means you can map all of your actions toward achieving the things you’ve set out to achieve. Yes, you still have to do the work to get there, but you become more intentional and focused when you’re working toward a clear set of goals. The action you need to take and what you’ll do next becomes obvious when you know where you’re going. The path becomes clear and the decisions get easier, it’s almost binary: “does this move me closer to where I want to be in the long-run, yes or no?” If the answer is yes you can move forward unapologetically, if the answer is no you need to stop and examine why, you never have to guess if something will work or if you’re heading in the right direction.

Covey points out that everything has to be done twice - one in the planning stage and once in the execution. If you’re not taking time to plan for yourself then the planning is being done by the people around you, and they probably don’t have your best interests in mind. You must be intentional with your planning; set goals that inspire you, make milestones that you are driven to hit, and don’t let anyone’s point of view deter you from pursuing the things you are most passionate about. Make your own map, chart your own course.