One of the biggest reasons people fail to meet their goals, whether business or personal, is that they lack purpose. They find themselves in the same routine day after day and feel like they’re stuck in a rut and just going through the motions.
When you’re in such a rut, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture, as well as the satisfaction that you used to get from your business. If you find yourself in such a rut, here are some tips for getting out:
• Rediscover the meaning in your business. Ask yourself questions such as: Why did I go into business in the first place? What do I love about this business? What do I enjoy doing the most each day? What things do I hate doing each day? What are the things that I do each day that I’m just not very good at doing? Consider hiring someone else to do the things that you don’t like doing each day, or that someone else could do far better than you. This gives you time to do more of the things you enjoy as well as the things you excel at doing.
• Look at how far you’ve come in your business, and what you’ve accomplished so far. This can be a good way to see how much progress you’ve actually made. Looking back on successes can also help you to identify things you’ve done right, learn from the examples and have more success in the future.
• Try to look at your business objectively from an elevated perspective, without the emotional attachment. If you’re the owner or a partner, this can be hard when you’ve invested so much of yourself – your time, energy and money –in the business. If you find it difficult to be objective, seek the viewpoint of someone else at your business, an outside consultant or even a knowledgeable friend whom you know and trust.
• Set aside time each week where you do nothing but analyze your business and plan for the future. A great way to get started is to use the free Analyze Your Business tool on the Small Business Administration’s website at https://www.sba.gov/tools/sizeup. This tool shows you how your business stacks up to industry competitors in your area, and even lets you map your competitors, customers and suppliers. You just select your industry, city and state. For example, pallet industry options include: Pallets & Skids – Manufacturers, Pallets & Skids (Wholesale), and Wood, Pallets & Skids (Manufacturers).
• Take a close look at your products and services and figure out ways to improve on them now, before the market demands that they change. Focusing on new projects and product upgrades can not only breathe new life into your business, but give you reason to get excited about it again.
