Do You Have Double Vision? In Business, You Better!

Double vision in business? Sounds strange, but if you think about it, you have a vision for your company, but do you have a vision for your life? If not, you're cutting your potential for success in half. As business owners, we often equate the vision for business as a vision for ourselves, negating the fact that a personal vision is equally important.

Here's food for thought: would you say, ""Food nourishes us (us being you and your business), but I don't feed us foods that would make us healthier?" and think you or your business would have even a remote chance for growth?

I bring up that last analogy as a business coach, because believe it or not it is how some business owners treat their businesses. They might say that "Business Coaching could help build my business, but I don't need to build up my own skills to make my business healthier."

Put that way, it sounds a little silly, doesn't it? The 20-30% of business owners that succeed (over the 70-80% that fail), succeed because they understand that if you feed your business the food that it needs in order to function (food being effective processes, systems, training, etc.) it will grow. And if you feed yourself the food you need to be a better, smarter, more confident business owner (training, education, proven tools--and healthy food, of course) you'll be healthier, stronger, and more confident, too.

With this in mind, follow these simple guidelines and get on the path to a happier, more productive, and successful life:

1. Write down (don't just daydream it) your personal profile for the future. Not your bio. Not your vision for your company this time, but your vision for yourself. Picture yourself forward. How do you see yourself? Who are you with? What are you wearing? What are you driving? Where are you going? How are you managing your increased finances? Why is this important to you?

2. Smile more. Seriously, quit putting yourself down. You really can do whatever you set your mind to do. It might take a long time, but if you truly want that "whatever" it is, you will find a way. Problems are no more than puzzles looking to be solved. That 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle you're picturing? Yeah, that's a lot of disjointed pieces. But you figure out that step one is to turn all the pieces over so you can see what you are dealing with. Next, you look for common colors, corner pieces, etc. and you start to "sort" out the pile.

Then you start matching shapes, fitting the pieces together, creating groups. The point is to look at the challenge of putting something seemingly impossible together by viewing it as an opportunity to learn, develop patience, and persist. The "whole picture" is created by a lot of smaller parts.

3. Edutain yourself and others. No, that's not a typo. Edutain is the combination of Educate and Entertain. Look at challenge as fun and something that will teach you what you need to know to grow. It's amazing how like magnets we become when we reach out for answers, rather than closing the door to possibilities by retaining an "I know it all" attitude. Make learning new things fun for you and for your team. Adopt the phrase, "I never lose. I either win, or I learn."

4. Remember that nothing great was created overnight. A colleague of mine said her aging friend gave her a little plaque. It said, "Take time." My colleague was young and restless at the time and cast the message aside. "Who has time to take time," she scoffed. But in time, she totally understood her friend's message. "I thank her often in my thoughts," she admits, "for giving me precious advice." Speed is not always the answer. Quality is. Patience can only be developed by taking time. Move the things forward that can be done quickly and efficiently, and take time for the other things that require quality, integrity, and thought.

5. Search within. Respect yourself and others. You wouldn't have a business unless you had that entrepreneurial spirit that pressed you on. Respect that drive. And yes, respect your competition! We are all in this world together, trying to make our lives and the lives of our loved ones meaningful. Be thankful for your competition; they give you a higher standard to reach for. They keep you on your toes and force you to be more innovative.

In closing, it all starts with you. If you don't control the direction of your future, someone else will. Devise a plan - a personal one, to be your personal vision, and devise a business plan to be the roadmap to success for your business. Develop double vision! Turn over the pieces of your own puzzle, and view them not as an obstacle, but as an opportunity to be a stronger, better, smarter business owner and person.

And finally, get your smile on! Attract the success you want to become then be a mentor for another entrepreneur who "wants to be successful" like you.


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Peter Williamson, Business Coach and Master Licensee. For advice and access to proven systems that will advance your business, visit http://www.actioncoachcalteam.com/ or http://actioncalteamblog.com