When I left the corporate world in 2001 and started my business, it truly was a privilege.

No more 5 am mornings dashing off to the sports club, working out and being at the office by 8 – even though we didn’t open until 9 am.

No more staying late to avoid the rush hour traffic – doing just one more thing to get a jump start on tomorrow.

That was my life as a C-suite executive.

Walking away from that *success* wasn’t easy…

And it was essential.

My soul ached for something more AND something less.

I wasn’t clear what that was exactly other than having the freedom to choose.

Stepping into the entrepreneurial world felt like the right thing to do – and it was! Within 2 years my business was generating a multiple six figure income. I had freedom to decide my own schedule and that’s a privilege!

I was living my dream.

And then the 2008 financial crisis hit. Within a few weeks I had no clients, no prospects and no income.

Now my business was a problem.

I tried everything I could think of to breathe life back into my business.

I worked hard and put in more hours than I care to admit.

I suffered, struggled and was totally baffled by the fact that the strategies that had served me so well were no longer working.

Then the realization hit me – you know that aha moment when you have absolute clarity.

My business wasn’t the problem.

I was the problem.

It was time to stop the crazy-making frenetic activity.

Stop wasting precious time, money and energy.

Stop throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.

I hit the pause button; took a time out; stepped out of the busy-ness.

In that stillness, I began asking myself different questions and listened.

Instead of asking “What am I doing wrong? Or What more can I do?”

I asked “What do I really want my business to be?” And that was how I created a business that works for me. A business that’s aligned with my natural flow and style, my definition of success, my need for fulfillment, fun and freedom.

When I had clarity about what I wanted, I created a plan that supported my vision and that was a game changer for me and for my business.

If you don’t have a plan for your business, then my hope is these 4 steps I’m sharing with you will give you the guidance – and inspiration – to create your plan.

1. What do you want?

This question is vital to having a sustainable profitable business that works for you. Write down everything that comes to mind when you think about the results you want, the income level, your daily routine, who do you want to work with, what impact do you want to have…. everything you can think. No filters, no judgement. Give yourself permission to sit with this question and be okay with being uncomfortable.

2. How will you feel?

Tempting as it may be to skip this step, don’t. It’s essential for you to connect with the energy, the feelings, the emotion you’ll experience when you achieve what you want. Be specific and identify all of the feelings – sense of accomplishment, well-being, freedom, joy, relief. How will you feel physically, emotionally, mentally? The longer the list the better!! Then spend time connecting with each feeling – experiencing it, visualize being in that energetic space and flow.

3. What do you need to get there?

Now that you have your vision for your business, you can start creating the steps that support your vision, that build movement and momentum. Brainstorm and write down everything you can think of to help you achieve your vision – big steps, small steps. What resources do you need? Support? Systems?

4. Take aligned action

Now it’s time to prioritize the steps that you’ll take to achieve your vision. You may discover that some of the steps need to be chunked down into smaller, mini steps to sustain your momentum. The key is to consistently, each day, take aligned action and follow your plan.

To wrap this up, the process of achieving your vision, of having a profitable business that gives you fulfillment and freedom isn’t a once and done event. As you evolve and grow, so does your vision and your business. In other words, keep asking questions and listen for the answers.

And stay in aligned action, keep moving forward.

One more thing and this is important, be kind to yourself.

You are unique and your entrepreneurial journey is yours and only yours – knowing that is the secret to having your business work for you.

It’s all about you. You are unique and your business is unique to you.

If you’d like to brainstorm with me, I’m here for you. Click here to schedule a complimentary call with me today.

Remember, you don’t have to be perfect to be amazing!

You’ve got this.

You deserve this.

Your time is now.