How to escape the Survival Trap

https://vimeo.com/331012438

Have you ever sat down and thought about your goals?

If you've got a business coach, then they've probably made you do this.

And if you haven't got a business coach, it's definitely worth getting one. It might sound like a weird thing to spend your money on, but running your own business can be lonely at times, it can also mean that often you're just shouting into the void. A coach is there to listen to you and make sure you do the things you said you were going to do - which is incredibly valuable when you work for yourself.

So, back to goals.

Do you have any? Do you know what they are? Are they written down, where you can see them?

Because the goals give us a direction to move in. Even when there are obstacles in our way, we can align with the goals and choose the best path.

Imagine you're a lawn-care specialist. Your goal is to franchise the business, so you get to work when you want to, whilst having a network of people all following your expert tuition and giving householders across the country amazing looking lawns.

But you're not there yet. It's still just you, driving from client to client in your little van.

One day, you notice a client has a load of leaves in their gutter. You're a bit short on cash, so you ask if they want the gutters cleaning out (for a bit of extra money of course). Your reasoning is this - I buy myself a ladder, which costs a bit of money, but then I can offer this additional service to all my clients.

So you head off to the trade counter and buy a new ladder. You get up onto the roof and start clearing the gutters out. And while you're up there, you notice a few loose roof tiles. An easy fix for someone with your skills. So again, you ask the client if they want it fixing, head back to the trade counter, buy the stuff you need and get them fixed.

Now you've got two additional services you can offer your clients.

Great eh?

Well, maybe not. You might have made a bit of extra money, but you've also spent a load extra - on additional tools. You're going to need to sort out the Health and Safety for working at heights - and keep up with the certification. You've not spent as long on the lawn, so you'll probably have to come back tomorrow and finish it off - so a one afternoon job has just spread out to two days.

And you're now spreading yourself thin.

Has this extra helped you move towards your ultimate goal of a franchised lawn-care business?

Or is it just a distraction?

Even worse - is it now an excuse? I don't have time to look into the franchising side of things because I've got so many gutters to clean?

It's worth knowing what your ultimate goals are - and keeping them front of mind. So when you come to make the small decisions, you can just check them to make sure you're still heading in the right direction. Check out the free "Hacker's Guide to Quitting your Job"