By February 80% of New Year’s resolutions have already failed (according to Business Insider).
While this might seem like a total downer and have you questioning why you should bother setting goals in the first place, bear with me. Because I believe that goals are a GREAT thing. They put words and intention to our deepest hopes and dreams, they call us forth to become something we’re not but want to be, and they inspire actions we would never normally take.
How we set and nurture our goals makes ALL the difference between growth and yet another set of resolutions quickly falling by the wayside. And in this post, we’re going to talk about how YOU can be in the 20% whose goals make it past (way past) February 1st!
Which is why I’ve dedicated January to getting crystal clear on what your goals are and where they fit into the big picture of your best business and life.
In my last blog post, I shared a framework to keep you focused and in action along with guidance to help you achieve Step one (click here to read that post). Here’s what that looks like:
Step 1: Quarterly goal setting
Step 2: Finding focus
Step 3: Taking meaningful and consistent action
Today, I’m going to introduce the Focus Framework that will support steps 2 and 3. Here’s why I love and recommend this practice:
- What you focus on GROWS
- Action is the difference between dreams and reality. When we can cultivate routines and habits that support our goals, things move faster than you ever imagined possible.
THE FOCUS FRAMEWORK
As a business coach, I’m always curious about what makes a business thrive. With a front row seat to the businesses of the countless people I’ve coached and my own 12 years of experience as a business owner observing business owners who are doing things really well, I realized there are four key areas of focus that support fulfillment and profitability.
The beauty of this framework is that it’s a guide that works for any business owner at any point in their business development and growth.
Here’s how to use the Focus Framework as a guide in your business:
Creativity
Creativity is one of the greatest (and most overlooked) assets a creative professional or business owner has. You may think (or been told) you’re flighty, dreamy, no good at business or with money, but I don’t believe that’s true. Creative people were born to solve problems! You naturally look at things from different angles, iterate on an idea, and deliver solutions. Your creativity is your gift and needs to be nurtured, so achieving and maintaining a growth mindset, honing your skills, and learning new ones ONLY makes you a more efficient business person.
Take action: What creative project or practice will you cultivate? How often will you do it? What are the first steps to doing that?
Community
Many creatives are introverts or ambiverts and need time alone to think and develop ideas and solutions. Combine that with the freelance community growing at a great rate, creatives can find themselves spending waaaay too much time alone. We all need people, so we can benefit from their goodness as well as share our own. We need to build our network, connect with collaborators, be inspired, and share our challenges and wins.
Take action: Find your people. I literally tell EVERYONE about Creative Mornings because it’s such a shot in the arm for me. Where’s that place (or places) for you? Ask your friends and collaborators where they go for inspiration and community, visit some events, and show up regularly at your favorites. It will add SO much value to your practice, business, and life, I promise!
Energy + Time
How many times have you said, “I’m so busy”, only to spend the day spinning your wheels, achieving little, and feeling even more overwhelmed? Managing our energy and time is crucial to our being more fulfilled, productive, and profitable. Even if you’re a business of one, there are always things you can outsource to a contractor at an hourly rate that will free up your time and energy for the work only YOU can do.
Take action: List all the things you do in your business and life (take your time, I know it’s going to be as long as your arm!) and decide what role you want to play in your business. Do you want to be CEO and CD and find support for everything else? Do you want to be CEO and CMO, but outsource the other stuff? Now think about what support you need, who you know, and how you can make it happen.
Money
Oh, you know how I love to talk money with creatives! Why? Because I used to be a money-phobic creative. Not anymore! I decided that wasn’t going to be my story anymore and committed myself to shifting my money mindset and educating myself on finance. It’s an ongoing pursuit, but one that no longer feels intimidating. I even find it quite fun! Wherever you fall on the spectrum, there are always ways you can improve your relationship with money and profitability.
Take action: When it comes to focusing on money, it’s important you know what your money generating activities are. What activities bring you in the most money? How do they align with your purpose or sense of fulfillment? When (if at all) are you prepared to work for free or less and why? What actions or conversations could you have regarding money that would make your business more profitable?
Being true to your purpose and vision AND making progress are possible for you and your creative business and I’m here to support you!
If you’d like some more in-depth support on building a creative business that works for YOU, I’d love to help you. Click here to learn more about my 90-minute strategy coaching sessions and book yours today!
