What is success?

As we enter the season of autumn, there is no better time like now to be reflecting on this question: what is success? Because if you are willing to allow yourself to speak your truth about what success is for you, it begins to pave the way, get you off the fence and propel you into action.

 

Last week, in one of my coaching sessions, a client announsed she wanted to develop a second business and was ready to create her business plan. With a glint in her eye, she said, “I want to build a business that turns over tens of millions of dollars with a healthy profit”. 

 

I thought, no harm in thinking big. However, is she ready to do whatever it takes to achieve this reality? Is she ready, willing and able to operate like an owner of a business that turns over tens of millions of dollars? And the most important question is 'why?'.

 

 

No matter what the goal, idea or dream is, while its great to identify what you want, it is just as important to know why you want it. So I asked the question: “Why do you want to do this?”. Her response was “Well, this is the one I’ve been waiting for”. Again I asked the question: “So why do you want to do this business?”

 

Because, as I stated to my client, whilst it’s extremely easy to get excited about an idea and then create the business plan, it’s a whole different ball game to then live that business plan. Too often, entrepreneurs invest time and money in a business plan that then sits in their desk drawer – never to be revisited, let alone translated into an action plan.

 

The American poet, actress and Civil Rights figure Maya Angelou once said: “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it”. Therefore, from my perspective, if this client is going to have a business that changes her reality, then it’s important that she is fully engaged and committed to following through with this next business idea.

 

As you can imagine, my client started to get agitated by me repeating the same question. However, I wasn’t moving on until she declared a strong enough ‘why’ statement. So, her response was “Louise, this business can give me the money I want. And wouldn’t it be exciting to go for a goal like ten million?”. Of course, she thought she’d done a great job in convincing me.

 

I didn’t want to demoralize her by asking the same question and so I reframed by asking, “What is exciting about this new business idea?”. She didn’t even have to think: “I am passionate about bringing products and services that are chemically and toxin-free and educating other practitioners the value in using a product like this.”

 

I continued and asked, “So, what would excite you most? Running a successful business that is committed to introducing chemically and toxin-free products or a business that turns over ten million dollars?” For my client it started to become clear that what she was really passionate about was the product rather than the money.

 

 

Imagine if we’d invested the time and effort in developing a plan purely around the money goal. It’s highly likely that she would have become just as disillusioned as she is about her current business. Therefore, for my client to experience a different level of success, a complete rethink was required.

 

There is no doubt in my mind that when you are energized and inspired by your business, results are achieved. If you’re hoping, wishing and praying for success – then every day is about living life on a treadmill.

 

Over the past 20 something years, William and I have been on our own roller coaster ride in business. What we know is that when you are connected with what’s important, you look up and the world is your oyster. However, if and when you disconnect, you can only face down and all you can see is the fast approaching ground.

 

 

If this was the week where you stopped and got connected to what’s driving you, then what would this month look like?  What action would you take? Who would you be connecting with? And how would you measure your success in 30 days time?

 

This week, I invite you to schedule some time out, get honest with yourself about what’s working and what isn’t and, more importantly, if something needs to change – then change it.

 

 

Louise Woodbury

Business Coach & Mentor

Author of The Invisible Partnership & The Invisible Entrepreneur

Tel:  02 9955 8888