When I visited with my dad’s physical therapist, I learned something fascinating about balance. As people age, they begin to worry about falling. They tend to start looking down at the ground in front of them to be sure they won’t trip over something. Ironically, that posture will most likely lead to them falling!
This danger lies in our inner ears, which are finely tuned to help us maintain balance when we look ahead to the horizon. When our vision shifts down closer to our feet, we can no longer see the horizon. Maintaining our sense of balance becomes increasingly more difficult.
As a business owner, what are you looking at?
Many business owners I know go into business to pursue what they love—being a financial planner or CRM specialist, for example—and find they naturally gravitate toward spending as much time as possible with that first love.
The downside with this focus is it ends up being like looking down. Their business is driven by feast or famine. They are either so busy doing their craft they can’t keep up or, once the projects are completed, are so worried that they spend all their time seeking the next customer. They look down at their feet rather than ahead to the horizon.
What can you do to keep your balance as a business owner?
Take regular time to look at your horizon—ahead of your immediate projects. Why not become a business owner—one who creates a business that creates financial plans and CRM solutions, instead of one who focuses shortsightedly on the craft and its marketing!
Toolkit:
- Consider your focus now: how much time each week do you devote to working on, creating, your business? Are you satisfied with this amount of time and its product?
- Imagine you are looking at your horizon: what is your ideal business? Your identity as a business owner? (For now, don’t let yourself get distracted by wondering how you’re going to do that: visualize what you want the outcome to look like).
- Identify your next step –just one—to gain or refocus a horizon.
