Do you find yourself getting caught up in the hustle of running your business? Aligning your business with purpose and passion will help keep you motivated and moving towards your goals instead of just working towards the next project or scratching off another item on your to-do list. When you find the sweet spot between your purpose and your passion, they will start complementing each other instead of conflicting with one another.
Follow these steps, and you’ll likely find yourself more fulfilled in the process of running your business than ever before!
BEFORE GETTING STARTED
1. Giving yourself time and space — Allow yourself time to breathe and space from other distractions. Allow yourself time to think.
2. Go inwards — We know that ‘Comparison is the thief of joy’. Trying on others’ passions may give you ideas but it may also lead you off course. Remember what is important to you and want you need to be at your best. Write these things down. Start to build your own picture.
3. Stay curious — If there is something you truly enjoy, stay open minded to what that could become. ‘No idea is a bad idea’ when you’re starting out. Write down all your ideas, capture them without judgement.
DEFINING YOUR PURPOSE
As an entrepreneur, have you lost sight of your motivation? Ask yourself why you are in business. What are your motivations for taking the risk? What is your purpose? What impact do you want to create in the world?
Practice asking and answering these questions periodically to help you re-align with your core values and, in many cases, redraw your boundaries if needed.
When you define your business purpose, keep it simple and straightforward. It can have a “self-oriented” focus, meaning it can be about where you find joy.
Here are some great examples of my clients’ definitions of their purpose:
- To be a catalyst for positive change in people’s lives
- To help people realize the light they have inside of them
- To bring order and calm to chaos
- To help organizations achieve their highest goals in the most effective way possible
- To turn my “mess into a message” and help others bypass my painful mistakes
- To help organizations lead and manage people more positively
- To bring joy and laughter through humor
- To nurture my creative talents and help others find theirs
- To be a loud speaker for messages that need to be shared
DEFINING YOUR PASSION
The first step to aligning with your purpose is to define what you are passionate about. You may ask yourself what activities give you energy, what kind of people you enjoy spending time with, and if there are any hobbies you love to do in your free time? You don’t need to know every answer immediately; perhaps you are multi-passionate like myself! However, asking yourself these questions will help you get started in honoring what you love to do and moving away from what drains you or simply doesn’t serve you anymore.
DEFINING YOUR BUSINESS
Now that you’re closer to clarifying what your passion is it is time to do some business soul-searching to figure out what the core mission of your business is. Start by defining what you’re business will be. This can be a broad or specific statement, but once you’ve established the parameters, you can begin exploring your options.
And don’t worry, it’s common for this part of starting a business to take some time. It can take several tries for entrepreneurs to discover that perfect niche that fits their skillset and market needs.
CREATING THE PERFECT BALANCE
Creating the perfect balance between your purpose and passion within your business will empower you for many years to come. Even when things get hard, you can reflect on why you started. But most importantly, you’ll have a deeper connection to the work you do because it’s connected to more than just a business idea. These core elements will help you form your unique value proposition to grow your community and make a lasting impression on customers.
CONNECTING TO YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMER AND CLIENT
Providing value to customers is the goal of any business. It’s important to fully understand your ideal client before you can provide them with honest value. Connecting with your customer on a deeper level (more than just what you sell) means identifying what your shared values, lifestyle, and passions are. When you can resonate within yourself and others, taking risks in your business will be easier.
Passion is a powerful motivator for running a business, and it can lead to more thoughtful decision-making and help you start and grow your business. Whatever your business is and wherever it goes, passion will help you get there.
Go out there and build a heartfelt purpose-driven business that makes a difference in its community. Don’t ever forget to keep following your passion.
FREE RESOURCE TO HELP YOU GET STARTED –
EXCERPTS FROM BRAND PLANNING WORKBOOK
This free resource is for you if feel like you’ve been chasing your passion but need a bigger grasp of what your business needs to look like. Or maybe you’re focusing 100% on the business side without considering its purpose and overall long-term mission.
The Brand Planning Workbook organizes the entire process of building & designing a brand. These free pages pulled straight from the workbook, will help align your purpose and passion with your business and help you get started and clarify your vision.
Get started and download your free pages here or if you’re ready to DIVE DEEPER into brand fundamentals, strategy, and more, click here to learn more about the Brand Planning Workbook.
