How many times have you heard the words “do what you love and the money will follow”? It’s a very romantic thought and I’d love to believe it’s that easy. The truth is, the money doesn’t just appear. Let’s get real about that.
If you want to create a business you love, one that feeds your passion, you have to tie that passion to your skills, experience and knowledge. You have be strategic in your planning and you have to understand what it takes to start, grow and run a business that generates profit.
To create a business and a life you love you want to start by identifying what will make you happy – start with the things that bring you joy. For a lot of women this is the biggest challenge because up until now you may have been living your life to make others happy. Your children, your spouse, your parents, your friends. Women tend to be nurturers by nature. And we often put ourselves last.
Right now I’m giving your permission to put YOU first on the list. Even if it’s just for the next few minutes.
You have a lifetime of experience and you’ve developed skills and gained an immense amount of knowledge. The combination of skills, knowledge and experience you possess is unique only to you. Never underestimate how valuable that is.
In the BEYOND Model we help clients walk through a personal inventory of skills and talents and then match up with their passions to uncover possible combinations for creating a business that creates joy and freedom. Download the entire BEYOND Model action guide here. In the meantime here are 3 simple (yet powerful) steps you can take now to uncover your winning combinations.
Step 1: Answer these questions:
- What would you with your time if you didn’t have to worry about money?
- What did you love to do when you were young?
- What are you passionate about? That do you talk about, read about and research in your free time?
- What are your 3 favorite hobbies and what do you love about each?
- What do others say you are really good at?
Step 2: Write an exhaustive list of the skills and talents you possess. (Do not hold back, just let it flow. This is bragging time.)
Step 3: Select one of your passions. Now look at your list of skills and pick one to match up with that passion. Now brainstorm how that skills could be used to monetize your passion.
This will not be perfect, but it will get you thinking in terms of possibilities. Continue to add additional skills into the mix as you go.
This process should be fun. It should be unlimiting. Resist the temptation to sabotage the process with “ya but” thinking. This is the time to play full out without limitations and baggage. This is all about the WHAT IF’S.
