What’s Your Why?
When you first hung out your virtual shingle, you likely
were thinking:
·
“I can’t wait to get away from this awful job.”
·
“I just want to be home with my kids.”
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“This dead-end job is going nowhere.”
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“I’m tired of working crazy hours and holidays.”
·
“I know I’m worth more than they’re paying me.”
These and many, many other thoughts go through the heads of
every would-be business owner, and are often the driving force behind that
final, “I quit.”
But while they’re great for lighting a fire and inspiring
you to make a scary jump to business ownership, they’re not so fabulous at
motivating you to grow and improve. They won’t inspire you to increase your
skills and raise your rates and be brave and authentic in your marketing. They
won’t help you find the courage to hire a new coach or launch a brand-new program.
To find the inspiration to make your business thrive, you
have to identify the real why behind what you do.
Passionate Whys
“Passion based” is a phrase that’s found a massive following
in the past few years and seems to be the holy grail of entrepreneurial
adventures. And for business owners with a true passion for their field, it can
be a strong motivator.
Some business owners are passionate about a subject,
spending all their waking hours learning about the topic. Some are passionate
about a market and would do anything to help their ideal client achieve his or
her goals.
Whichever type of passion-based business owner you are,
learning to harness that passion will help take your business to the next
level.
Financial Whys
Maybe you want to retire at 40 to travel the world or send
your kids to an elite private school. Maybe you love fast cars, and dream of
driving a brand-new Ferrari.
Whatever your big dream, you knew you’d never make it while
putting in time at the day job. While everyone seems to go on and on about
those passion-based dreams, the truth is there’s nothing wrong with wanting
financial fulfillment. Money is a necessary tool. We need it, and the more we
have, the easier life is. And wanting more of it is nothing to be ashamed of,
as long as you maintain your integrity and authenticity in pursuit of it.
Philanthropic Whys
Plenty of online business owners go into business so they
can have more to give. You’ve no doubt heard of—or maybe even know—marketers
who use their earnings to fund mission trips, build schools in war-torn, third
world countries, and support a variety of charities at home and abroad. Others
use the time freedom they’ve built into their business to volunteer with local
hospitals, animal shelters and children’s organizations.
If you have a heart for a cause, a philanthropic why might
be the driving force that takes your business to the next level.
To find your own why, consider your biggest dreams. If money
were no object, what would you be doing?