Running a business is hard work. Any entrepreneur would agree. It definitely isn’t the easy solution to “getting out of a corporate job.”

You might end up working longer hours than in a “regular job.”
It will probably be messy in the beginning.
And you could even be up at night stressing about whether your new business will succeed.

And it’s easy to wonder to yourself, “Was this idea of building a sexy business and a sexy life all just a fantasy?”

But here is a crucial question to ask yourself: Are you the one creating the drama, stress, or chaos in your business and life right now? 
Are you the one lighting fires in your business? 

Ouch! That is a tough one to answer. 

Let’s backtrack, and figure out how to put these fires out 

 

 

Step 1: Identify The Fire

Think about the problems in your business right now. 

Write them down. 

You’ve got to acknowledge that those fires are there before you can put them out.

This is sometimes the hardest thing for entrepreneurs to do. 
Stop going at 100 miles per hour. Stop checking your phone. Put the list away. Turn off the notifications. Just stop and think.

These might be some examples of fires in your business, but there are so many more. It’s important to be really honest here.

1. I keep having these awkward misunderstandings with my clients.
2. My best clients aren’t sending me projects anymore.
3. It’s so hard to think of new ideas.
4. I’m so tired

 

Step 2: Locate The Source Of The Fire 

Then follow each problem, and ask yourself, “Where is it coming from?”

Most entrepreneurs are really good at getting hyper-focused and getting a task done to move the needle forward. We will do whatever it takes, sacrificing nearly anything in our way to meet a deadline or deliver a project. 

And although that looks like the most amazing thing to anyone looking in, it’s actually creating the perfect condition for fires. 

We end up starting our own fires. But then we get applauded for putting them out. 
And the cycle continues because we never stop for long enough to assess the fires and the problems we are creating for ourselves. 

Step 3: Extinguish Those Fires In Your Business

When you’re the one creating the drama, stress, and chaos in your own world, there is actually good news. It means that you have control over it. 

So what do you do?

Stop and look around the building. Breathe and think about whether you’re breathing in fresh air or smoke… 

Are there fires around you? 

You might even need somebody to help you do this. And then get ready for honest advice that will help you because it will probably be hard to hear.

Then come up with an action plan that includes accountability. 

None of us entrepreneurs are free from the danger of business fires, especially the ones we start ourselves. And that’s because we are humans. 

But being human is what makes a business fun, and it’s the secret sauce to building a sexy business for a sexy life. 

Join us on Clubhouse for some spicy conversations where we get honest, vulnerable and practical about preventing business fires. You’re welcome to listen in or join the conversation Monday through Friday from7am to 9 am Central.