Build a Business That Serves Your Life
Everyone wants an ideal life. This is one of the reasons our clients seek us out. As coaches, we inspire others to reach higher and do better, to carve out a purpose and live it to the fullest, but so often we don’t do the same for ourselves. Many of the entrepreneurs I coach come to me because they have lost sight of the life they want. If you are feeling like a servant to your business, it’s time to change that story. Your business should serve your life, not the other way around. Whether you are just starting out or have an established practice, it is crucial to define the life you want to live. This is an essential building block to transforming your passion for coaching into a profitable business.
As a coach you are your business, so your success begins with you. When you live a life that you love, you can more effectively guide others to do the same. Holding a clear vision for your ideal life will not only shape the work you do, it will also inspire you to stay motivated during the challenging times.
Here are some strategies to help you get clear about what your ideal life looks like. Approach the questions in whatever way feels right to you. One useful method is to treat them as writing prompts. Sit down with a journal and see what comes up for you.
Go Back to the Beginning
No matter where you are now in your business, it’s time to revisit why you got started in the first place. Why did you become a coach? What were you inspired to create and share and be? What were the dreams you attached to this choice? What kind of life did you imagine coaching would bring you? Reconnect to the joy, excitement, and ideals that compelled you to begin this journey.
Get Specific
Take some time to get clear about what’s most important to you. What are your priorities? How do you want your business to fit into your life? Envision your ideal week. Do you want your business to be part time or full time? How many hours do you want to work? What days and times? Maybe you are a morning person and want your day to start at 6 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. Or would you rather start at 10 a.m. and also have Fridays off? Get clear about what schedule works best for your life.
After you define your work schedule, where does the rest of your life fit into the picture? Consider what you value. Is it time with your family? Vacation and travel? Self-care? Imagine the things that bring you joy and find a place for them in your plan. These are the things that fill your cup so you are able to give your best to every client.
Capture the Essence
The final step is to connect to the essence of what drives your goals and ideals – what are your values? For example, many of us equate success with making more money. Wealth is definitely a part of success, but only because of what more money will mean in your life. Maybe it’s freedom, joy, choices or opportunities. Uncover the essence of what more money means for you.
If you want more time, how do you want to spend that time? If you have been working full time and want to make the change to part time, what is underneath that desire? Would more time help you build a deeper connection to yourself and others? Would it mean more time for self-care?
Don’t overthink this part. Just take some time to connect to what is truly motivating you. The deeper you can go with this the stronger your foundation for future success will be.
Turning your passion into profit begins with holding a vision for your ideal life and running your business in a way that reflects that vision. If we don’t make conscious choices about how to spend our time, our businesses can take over our lives.
As a coach, you get to do what you love; as an entrepreneur you can design your business exactly the way that you want. Settle for nothing less than creating a life that you love.
Passion into Profit Coaching Challenge: Take some time to reflect on how your business can serve your life and to align to the aspirations that inspired you to become a coach.
Teresia LaRocque, MCC (Canada)
Teresia LaRocque, MCC, MAA, is Canada's first Master Certified Coach and a co-founder of ICF Vancouver Charter Chapter. Over the past 20 years, she has been a key player in developing the coaching industry in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canada. Her Passion into Profit program delivers a time-tested, step-by-step process for developing a sustainable six-figure coaching practice. More than just business strategies, this interactive program also lays the foundation for a balanced, fulfilling lifestyle — a mission-critical component of entrepreneurial success.
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Thanks for the great post. These are great questions to ask. I especially find the first one helpful: why did I get into this in the first place? That reconnects me to my desires and intentions, and helps me refocus on what’s most important to me. I find I need to do that regularly; otherwise it’s easy to pursue productivity and “success” without any sense of why I’m doing it. Which leads to lots of effort and little fulfillment.
Muchas gracias por sus aportes. Claros y valiosos