Life Plan First...Then Business PlanWith the chaos in the marketplace, I get calls daily from businesses on what they should be doing. Profits have evaporated, gross margins are slim, and revenues are shrinking. Many are in a pure panic. And every time, without exception, the panic is a result from lack of vision and strategy. In these difficult times, most are froze and paralyzed because they don't know what to do. They don't know what to do because they don't have a good enough strategy and vision.
But we need to take a step back. First, before you can have a business plan, you need a life plan. In my work, I find that over 90% of people (and some are temporarily successful) don't have a LIFE PLAN. They have ideas in their head, but nothing written down or worked on in terms of a life plan. Business is a tool to make life better for you and your loved ones. It's a means to the end. That's it. Don't get confused. Business should not define you. It should be a part of you but not define you. So many people are out there consumed with their business...it's their life and defines them. That's wrong. There is so much more to accomplish in this life other than business. What you ask? RELATIONSHIPS I say. Anything regarding a relationship is more important than business. HELPING OTHERS I say.
I have made this mistake. In my first career, I put business ahead of my life. Thank you God, for the shock to my system to get my priorities straight. Now, it's my LIFE first and then business. And by the way, my calendar and how I spend my time is 100% consistent with this.
So first things first. GET A WRITTEN DOWN LIFE PLAN. I found this example and love it for its simplicity. It doesn't need to be elegant. A simple pen and paper will do. But you need to define your life before you define your business. And then once you have one started, you need to work and re-work it. It's a living document.
With my life plan I am reminded of a poem that says we need to endure the hammer and chisel to be the masterpieces God wants us to be...With your life plan, you must endure the hammer and chisel to continue to improve.
