Over the years, I’ve often been asked what keeps me motivated as an entrepreneur. My answer is just one word.
Freedom.
In my case, my business gives me the freedom to live where I want and do the type of work I want to do.
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations of your business. But sometimes you need to step back and ask yourself why you’re doing what you do in the first place.
The great thing about owning your own business is that if you don’t like what’s going on you can change it. I’ve changed our business multiple times since we started Logical Expressions in 1995.
Keeping the Why In Mind
When you make decisions or change direction, you always need to keep the ultimate “why” of your business in mind.
For example, a few years ago I was developing Web sites for small businesses. I actually was quite successful at it. But the market was changing and I was to seriously dislike what I was doing.
At that time, it was necessary to reevaluate the direction I had taken. Developing Web sites did meet my ultimate “why” criteria, since you can create Web sites no matter where you happen to be located. (Even Idaho.)
The Quest for More Freedom
The problem was that I had to be here in front of my computer all the time to do the work. Taking vacations meant time away from client work. We considered various options and realized that producing products would give us more freedom.
The same ultimate “why” that led us to start the business in the first place was also behind our decision to start publishing books and other products. It wasn’t easy to throw everything away and start over, but it did achieve the desired result. We have more freedom than we did before.
Our products can be sold (and have been sold) while we’re on vacation or out hiking with our dogs on the weekend. By always keeping that ultimate “why” in mind, we made the right choice for our business and our lives.
The next time you are feeling a little “lost” in your business, consider reconnecting with the core reasons you started the business in the first place.