There are no stupid questions. The only stupid question is the one that isn’t asked. Whether you’re just starting out or trying to grow your business to even greater heights, I’m sure you have many questions about your next steps. Usually, the questions that come into your mind are more concrete in nature: Who is my audience? Where should I open my business? How should I advertise?
Good questions, but there are others that you may not think to ask – of yourself and about yourself. These questions revolve around the person you need to be in order to achieve the success you want. These questions are so important in your journey of success. This week I invite you to get personal. Look within yourself by considering these 7 questions.
Think about them before answering them, and be sure to answer them honestly. These are the same personal questions I continue to ask myself. These are the questions that help me to propel my business higher and higher every year. I promise you, spending a little focused time here, will reap you great rewards …
Q1. Are you setting your goals according to what you truly want or what you think you should get? If your perspective is based on what you think you can do or have to do, you’re limiting your business potential. Set your goals based on what you truly want to achieve.
Q2. Do you have a burning desire? When you set out to do something you’ve never done, you are bound to encounter obstacles and hurdles. A burning desire will motivate you to overcome them rather than quitting because the going gets tough.
Q3. Where do you want to be? Design your business on your terms. The lifestyle you want to live, how much vacation you want to take, how many hours you want to work are totally up to you. Map these things out in advance so you can determine how to get there.
Q4. Are you setting the right goals? Setting goals that excite and challenge you will keep you from becoming lazy or complacent. Be careful not to set goals that are so overwhelming that they paralyze you with fear. Keep a balance.
Q5. What do you need to let go of? When you move from one level to another, in life and in business, you have to leave some things behind. It could be a habit, a former acquaintance or a work pattern, but the more old things you carry with you, the harder it is to climb. Let go of the things that hold you back.
Q6. Who do you need to be in order to do this? How you act and react is just as, perhaps even more important, than what you do. Take notice of your habits and your surroundings. Ask yourself if the person you need to be to achieve your goals would live and act this way.
Q7. What is the one critical skill you need? Learning to sell is the most critical skill in any business. The most important investment you can make in yourself is learning to sell one-to-one. Make the conscious commitment to making yourself the best salesperson your business could have.
Asking yourself these personal questions and revealing your personal, honest answers will give you insight on what you need to learn and do to achieve your goals.
Never stop asking yourself questions. Every answer will take you further and further on the road to your success.
Tweet
Enjoyed the blog post Bernadette. You are so right, asking questions can unlock so much potential and really propel us forward.
Duncan Brodie
Lovely article, great advice! Thank you!
The power is in the asking of the right questions! One I love is to frequently ask myself: “is this bringing me closer to my goal”? If the answer is no, it’s a great motivator to get me back on track.
Thanks for the great advice. Siobhan
Great questions Bernadette, not just to think about when including more services and offerings, but also when you’re considering what NOT to offer – these are great questions to test out future plans.
Thanks!
I love the question, who are you being in your business? If you’re not being what you’re out to fix, then that’s a real problem. I understand this piece. However, what else could be included in the “being” part of the equation?
What a great set of questions. Only seven questions but they reveal so much when we answer them. Thanks.
These questions are so powerful and necessary, Bernadette. For me, particularly Q5 & Q7. I addition to the answer to Q7, the wisdom and skill to know what to leave behind will enable me to answer Q5!
Thank you for the nudge!
R&R,
Simon
I am having a big mindset shift at the moment and stepping away from some stuff that is old and not what I want and onto something I really DO want…..
Excellent questions, especially love “who do you need to be to do this?” A great mindshift–