A summer review or business audit, is essential for you and your business. Last week I shared with you why I believe a business audit at the six-month stage of the year is a good idea (you can check that out here, if you haven’t seen it). However, there is another thing you need to consider, when carrying out an audit or summer review of your business – do you want what you’re focusing on?
Achieving our goals isn’t always easy but a summer review can keep us on track
There will be times when your goals seem so far away. You’re working hard but seem to be getting nowhere nearer to what you’re focusing on. There’s even that thought going through your mind, the one that’s questioning whether you should keep going or just give up and go after something else. It just seems too difficult an achievement to aim for.
I’m sure we can all relate to this.
However, what is often the case in these moments, when we carry out a summer review or business audit of our goals, we think about how it will feel to reach that end goal. Our heart (or stomach!) does a little flip and our determination ramps up a notch or two, as our desire to reach it takes over and pushes us forward. We realise we DO still want that end result and we’re going to make sure we get it!
But that isn’t always the case.
#1: Do you feel excited about achieving your goals?
Excitement isn’t always a precursor to motivation. Sometimes, when we think about our goals, our determination doesn’t ramp up. There’s no little flip and, if we’re honest, we feel just a little bit deflated at the thought of reaching that goal.
So how can you tell if you want the goal?
This is when you need to carry out a business audit or summer review. You need to ascertain whether it’s just your nerves or comfort zone trying to keep you stuck – or if you really do want what you’re focusing on, in the first place.
If you look at the work involved in reaching your goal, you may not be motivated or excited. It can all seem a little overwhelming or scary. But the key here is, if you’re not feeling excited about achieving the desired end result, there’s a good chance you don’t want it in the first place.
#2: Are you chasing someone else’s idea of success?
Another issue you can come up against is chasing something that you feel you SHOULD be going for. We then try to feel enthusiastic about something that doesn’t actually matter to us. Whether it’s considered something that’s the norm for your industry, or if it’s been suggested to you by your mentor, partner or other influential person, it’s never a good idea. Why? Because you won’t feel excited about trying to reach it, and you’re going to feel empty if you do achieve it.
Carrying out a business audit or summer review helps us to clarify what WE want to achieve, as well as clarifying how we feel about it. It’s a good way of checking in with ourselves and it gives us the freedom to change our mind, if it’s something we realise we’re chasing on behalf of someone else.
#3: Is the reward worth the effort?
We can sometimes get hooked up on achieving things that, in our bigger picture, are not really relevant. This is often the case when we’re trying to solve things that don’t directly impact on our goals or should be handed over to someone else. For example, we can spend days working out how to get our opt-in box to behave – when we could save our sanity and time, by simply handing it over to our IT guy.
Another way this can show itself is when we focus on more materialistic or vanity measurements, such as the number of followers we have on a social network, when it’s overall engagement and end sales that are more important to us.
Achieving our goals isn’t always easy, but a summer review will ensure you’re aware of where you’re focusing your time and energy – and if you really want what you’re focusing on anyway.
How do you feel about a summer review or business audit on your business? Have you carried out out already, or is it something that you’re still learning about, but would like to implement? Why not share your thoughts, opinions and even your a-ha moments, in the comments box below!