When you started your business, how much time did you spend on creating your vision? A month? A day? Or were you just winging it?

And, if you purposefully developed your vision, did that vision only include what you want for your business or did you actually think about the lifestyle you want to lead, and how your business can support that lifestyle?

Did you catch that?

Your business should not rule and overshadow your life; you should not arrange your lifestyle around your business. Your business is just a part of your life – a very large and important part – but not the whole thing.

As owners, we often find ourselves completely consumed with the business and what it needs.

Your friend calls, asking about a ladies night. Sorry, gotta work. It’s your dad’s birthday and he wants you there. Sorry, I have a deadline. Your partner wants to go and watch the latest Avengers movie. Sorry honey, I’m just not that into superheroes (I’m too busy being one!)

It’s so easy to fall into these annoying patterns, giving more and more until you’re nearing burnout. But, there is a better way.

Your business should support your vision. Your life vision.

So, what does that mean?

Think of it like this. One day, when you lay on your deathbed thinking back, how would you want your life to have played out? What would you like people to say about you once you’re gone?

To determine what your life vision is, you need to ask yourself questions like:

• What do I value most in life?
• How do I want my day-to-day life to look like?
• How do I want to spend my time with my family and friends, and how much?
• What would I like people to say about me when I’m not around?
• Who do I want to be?
• How much money do I need to make so that those things can come true?
• What does success look like to me?

Once you know the answers to these questions, you actively need to start creating the life you want. Intentionally.

During lockdown, we all reflected on the business and decided that we’d like to make changes too (we sort of liked being at home). Soon after we had a business strategy session where we delved deeper into our vision and how the firm could support that.

Your business is a tool to help you realise your life goals.

When you actively create the life and business you truly want, you may not end up completely where you want to be. You may have to take a U-turn sometimes to correct your path. And you may (most probably would) develop an even better vision along the way.

Knowing what you’re working towards gives you purpose. It gives you energy when things are tough or not going according to plan. It gives you courage when you need to say no. It gives you a measuring stick to gauge your progress.

Designing a business around your lifestyle is not easy, though.

You may find that sometimes you need to take a few steps back to learn a new skill you need to fulfil your vision. Sometimes you need to say no to clients who are draining all of your energy. And sometimes, you may have to walk away from a business you’ve built up from scratch with blood, sweat, and tears. It may not be easy, but it may be necessary.

And sometimes you need to ask for help.

As entrepreneur and motivational speaker, Jim Rohn famously said, “we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.”

Who do you spend time with? Who do you go to when you need advice?

We’d love to be one of the five ‘people’ you pick to spend your time with in 2021.

Apart from finance and tax-related content, we are focusing more on sharing ideas and steps you could take to design the business and lifestyle you want through these blogs and other channels. Make sure you subscribe to our newsletters and keep an eye out for these tips. And, when you’re ready for one-on-one support, get in touch to set up a coffee-date.