Getting personal...

One of the powerful things about blogs is that their very nature encourages we authors to share what is going on in our lives, professionally and personally.

I am often guilty of editing myself when it comes to posting on my site, but many readers and coaching clients have let me know that the value they receive from me is in large part made up of my personal experiences - both the successes and failures.

So, I remind myself to get personal.

Which is a neat segue to how I am feeling today. Running your own business is an amazing adventure and I treasure the experiences, rewards, trials, and tribulations. There are days, however, like today, when success or failure is a deeply personal thing.

In business, when you are earning a pay cheque, your focus is on your priorities, responsibilities, milestones. Market share, competitive landscape, brand awareness et al are the big focus. And rightly so.

When you are in business for yourself, all these things apply. And more…

• No competitor has the power to wipe you out like you do yourself. You can be, if you aren’t careful, your greatest foe.

• If you aren’t productive, focused, doing the right things at the right time, you don’t get paid. Period.

• You are alone. Well, we are all alone, ultimately, but you know what I mean.

So, what happens, in my experience, is that you go from strings of positive outcomes, to invariably, strings of negative or non-outcomes. Managing through these so that you don’t lose momentum, or heart, is the key thing.

Like I said, I love it. But getting personal, some days it is a grind. So, I think I will watch the Vancouver Canucks battle the Calgary Flames and catch the last episode of the Apprentice tonight. After all, I am my own boss.