The practical steps to go from where you are today to where you want to be.
Isn’t it about time we got clear?
At the end of the day, the biggest problem most entrepreneurs and business leaders have is that they are not clear. There’s no defined path. No road map to success. They’re stuck in a cul-de-sac running in circles with no idea how to scale their business.
Your body can’t create what your mind can’t conceptualize. Let me say that again. Your body cannot create what your mind cannot conceptualize. You need to understand this. If you can’t see it in your brain, then you can’t create it yet. You’re just not there. You have to visualize the endgame. We’re looking ahead to where we want to be 12 months, 24 months, 36 months from now, and tracing that all back to the present.
Where do you want to be three years from now? Can you articulate your vision with clarity? No? Here’s something you can try…
Carve out some time for yourself. Go to lunch, go to dinner; just block out some time where you can dream. But be careful not to just think- commit it to paper. Write a three to five-page description of a day-in-the-life of your business three years from now. Be specific. The more specific you are the clearer your vision will become. Here are some things to get you started:
- What time do you arrive at the office?
- What car are you driving?
- What’s your office building like? Where’s it located? Is your logo on the front? What color?
- Who greets you when you walk in?
- What color is the paint? The carpet? Style of furniture? Smell? Lighting?
- What’s the first thing you do after passing the front desk?
This is just a jumping off point to get you started. You need to visually map out your entire work day, beginning to end.
How many staff? How many departments? What is everyone doing? What’s the communication structure?
Now you’re in your office. What books are on the shelf? How’s your desk laid out? What pen do you use? How do your business cards feel in hand?
It’s a lot to think about, but it’s an incredibly satisfying and beneficial exercise if you’re willing to take the time to do it well. Once finished, you will have created a crystal clear vision of your company 36 months from now.
Now it’s time to start working backwards. Cut 36 months in half. What has to happen 18 months from now in order to make your three-year vision a reality? Once you have 18 months figured out, cut it in half again and examine where you need to be at 9 months. Once that’s committed to paper, create a visual road map of the next three quarters. In other words, for you to be where you want to be 9 months from now, what needs to be accomplished over the next three quarters? Be specific! Commit to actionable, measurable steps. The more specific, the better.
You are pursuing a 36-month vision, but are breaking it down into manageable milestones and steps you can begin taking today.
Remember, if you can see it then you can create it. Your body can only create what your mind can conceptualize.
At the end of the day, we want you to be successful. In order for you to scale, as an individual, an entrepreneur, or as a business, you must develop a crazy-clear endgame vision, and break it down into actionable steps that take you from where you are today, to where you want to be 12, 24, 36 months from now.
