Hey y’all, Brent Perry with Business on Purpose.
Where is the vision in your business? Or maybe a better question, where is the balance in your vision?
Looking back. Starting at what’s straight in front of you. Or looking ahead. Let’s take a look.
Maybe you are busy looking into the past of what has happened this month or year (or years past)?
There is an article written by Scott Petinga titled “Why looking back is key to moving a business forward.” In the article, he asks the question: how do you get the most out of your past to get the best out of your future? He goes on to give 5 examples of how to spend productive time looking back on the life of your business.
He says to ask the question what if Learn from your mistakes Reshape your past Get inspired And Get perspective
Those are just a few examples of what looking backwards can look like and what it can mean for your business.
So we talked about looking back, but maybe you are so busy with the day to day operations that you can only focus on the here and now. What is happening in the next 24 hours if you will? Just to survive and make it another day.
I am a present liver (not sure if that’s an actual term used, but you get the point). By design I live in the here and now, and if I am not intentional about looking back on life to learn and looking ahead in life to dream... I will just live day to day.
I’ll be honest, some days that just feels good. Focus on what is right in front of you, and get it done. Task, completed. Job, finished. Proposal, read. The list can go on and on.
Okay, so we have talked now about looking back on your business to learn and grow. We've talked briefly about the here and now and just seeing what is right in front of you so last but certainly not least...
Do you have the space, the margin if you will, to look at where you are, and where your business is heading? The direction you are going. The path that you're on. This is the “dreaming.” The planning. The “what’s next.”
Here is the reality as a business owner, if you are not taking the time to look ahead, no one is doing that for you. It has to start with you.
So how do you do it? There is time and seasons and space for all 3, but what is the healthy rhythm for balancing your vision?
Step 1: Identify your default if you will. Typically the clients we work with default to 1 of these 3. So where are you? Do you find yourself looking backwards all the time, or looking ahead and dreaming, or just busy with the day to day what’s right in front of you?
Step 2: And I’m sure you have heard us say this before... write it down! Go ahead... rank them if you will.
Do me a favor...ask yourself which of these visions are you best at and which do you struggle with the most? And write it out. Which vision do you live in, and maybe which you have been neglecting?
Step 3: Create the intentional time and space for each. Start with the vision you haven’t been able to do for some time. If you haven’t given yourself time to look ahead and dream about where your business is heading, make that a priority. If you haven’t been able to look back over this past year and learn and grow, make sure to do that.
Step 4: Create the habit. Don’t just make this a one and done. This isn’t Kentucky basketball...that one’s for you Joerdan...make this a weekly or at least monthly habit that you do for yourself and for your business.
I love cooking. I don’t do it as often as I would like, but it’s fun being in the kitchen or over the grill. It’s fun for me starting from scratch and watching the ingredients come together to make something others will enjoy.
Your business needs all 3 ingredients. A healthy balance with your vision.
Look back
Look at the here and now
Look ahead
Thanks for listening.
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