One Simple Question that Can Move You Forward with Amazing Speed
I work with solo entrepreneurs and small business owners who are really amazing at what they do and have achieved great success in their business but
- have done so at the expense of their personal freedom or well-being and happiness, which makes them feel over-worked and out of balance; or
- are limited in terms of growth as their business lacks scalability.
The visual I always seem to come back to is a hamster wheel. I remember watching my brother's hamsters when I was young. They would run and run in that wheel, but could not get traction to move anywhere! Some would run so hard that they'd fall asleep in the wheel.
As I meet people I see some of them in wheels too. They are hard workers and they are smart, but they are in a wheel and many of them don't even recognize it.
Some have even found their way out of the wheel and moved forward to create great success in their business only to learn that they created a BIGGER WHEEL!
They now find themselves in a painful place because the success that they’ve created has come back to hurt them. They are spending way more time in their business than they want to. They are doing things they may not want to do in the name of success and they find their business is running them rather than them running their business.
They've lost the freedom they were seeking when they became an entrepreneur.
The saddest thing is that when they get sucked into working this way, they often find they are lacking in other things. They may find that relationships start to crumble or they feel guilt for not participating in other areas of life.
Even worse, their health could be affected, that was what happened to me. I was doing this over and over in my corporate life and then when I became a solo entrepreneur I found myself doing it again because I'm a super achiever go-getter. I'm really great at what I do, but I got sucked in and let the business take over me and my life, and I nearly died. I know that is an extreme statement, but I was literally given a year to live if I didn't turn this way of living and being around.
One of the guiding questions that I focus on and teach my clients is
Catalyst Question
“Is this guiding me to my ultimate freedom, or am I running back to that hamster wheel, or worse, making a bigger wheel?”
I'm on a mission now to teach as many entrepreneurs as I can to recognize where they are and be okay with that and put strategy and systems in their life so that they don't have to experience the pain of success but they can experience real freedom, ultimate freedom in their life.
What would that mean to you? How would you define ultimate/real freedom in business and life?
To your easy and joyful success!
Stephanie
P.S. Let this settle and notice what is true for you. Every moment offers the opportunity to create the life you want with grace, ease, and joy. Let me know when you’re ready to explore possible next steps.
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DISCLAIMER: THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS POST DOES NOT CONSTITUTE BUSINESS ADVICE. NO RELATIONSHIP, INCLUDING ADVISOR/CLIENT, HAS BEEN FORMED AS A RESULT OF THIS POST.
Interesting question. I think I’m on the right track vs a wheel. 🙂
Diana-from UBC
http://www.dianabrandmeyer.com
Thanks for sharing! That is fantastic when you are moving forward with your business.
I’ve never been used what my ultimate freedom is. I’ve been asked what success means to me and I answer with freedom. And I mean just that I can do what I want, when I want, how I want. Yes, running on a wheel to get there but learning to take time to smell the roses.
Shawn – Interesting perspective isn’t it? I have learned over the years that freedom means different things to different people. Having a really clear definition of what it means to you will keep you focused on the right things and not get caught up in bright shiny object syndrome (BSOs)
Interesting outlook because I totally understand it. I set so many forward goals that I often feel I cannot relax until I get them done but am slowly starting to take more time for self enjoyment, trying to convince myself that where I am with my biz right now is OK (not, I want to be further ahead! lol)
Kaye – The real trick is to make sure that what you are putting in place now will align with how you want to live. Glad the post gave you some food for thought.
The question most entrepreneurs overlook when getting their business going is “What am I really doing this for?” I’ve had clients often say “Freedom” and while the word makes sense, they don’t go deeper into it to define what freedom actually looks like to them resulting in the hamster wheel you speak of.
For me, I wanted freedom so I started working from home but was working nonstop, even when it was dinner time with my wife and son. I had to look back and give freedom a meaning that was significant to me realizing that “freedom” was too generic a term to get me inspired and work diligently towards.
I’m glad I realized it when I did because it was threatening the health of my marriage and family.
You hit the nail right on the head! Exactly. Know why you are doing what you are doing. I’m thrilled that you figured it out early in your business!
Important topic and excellent advice. The wheel of life is a wonderful thing…not so much if you’re in hamster mode. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing. Agreed!
Oh, gosh, I think I just created a bigger hampster wheel! I have been realizing more and more that I need to hire help. Just not in the place yet to do it full-time, so I do it project by project. It is rough to be the admin., janitor, web person, and marketer on top of being a coach, speaker, and writer. Whew. Thanks for this post 🙂
Oh a bigger wheel huh? Congratulations! It is awesome when you can see something like that. I have a bunch of other posts on delegation and outsourcing. You might find a solution in there that fits right to your situation! It is amazing the different options that are out there now.
And then there are those of us who can’t get one wheel under control, so we try to run in two wheels at the same time. Or maybe even three!
:o)
You got it. or four… or five… 😉
YES because “freedom” is the number one goal for me and my business. Sometimes it takes us being willing to hand things off to others so we can focus on our brilliance. I get it cash flow is the tricky wicket in the beginning. Once you do it that first time and you get that financial win, do it again until incrementally you got off the wheel.
Michele – I hear you! It is for me too and for almost all of my private clients. Outsourcing is one solution to getting off of the wheel that can really help for sure.
Love this post, Stephanie. You are asking us to look at the bigger picture, which is always important to do. When we’re on that hamster wheel, there’s no time to stop, reflect and see where we are. Instead we just keep running to keep that wheel turning.
To me, part of this freedom is actually making the time on a regular basis to reflect and regroup. I do this personally and professionally in small and larger ways. On a daily basis, I review where I am at the beginning, middle and end of the day. I’m paying attention to the smaller items that lead to the larger goals or projects. On a quarterly basis, I look farther ahead asking questions about direction, goals, and dreams.
By doing this, I can check in to see if the balance between work and play feels right or out of whack. Am I aligning days with my values and needs. I never go too long without adjusting the mix, if that’s what needed.
Linda – Thanks so much for sharing how you stay grounded. I love how you claim your freedom to take time to reflect and regroup. Powerful.