Imagine building a million dollar business – then deciding you need to walk away from it!
That’s what happened to Vanessa Lau. And if it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone!
Because knowing how to build a 7 figure online business is just ONE part of the equation.
But ensuring this business nourishes & sustains you, not just financially, but emotionally, physically, mentally & spiritually – is another thing altogether.
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If you don’t know who Vanessa Lau is, she’s a coach whose online business exploded to multiple 7 figures over the course of a few short years.
She seemingly had it all, even being featured in Forbes magazine and speaking at all the big events.
But just a few weeks ago, she announced her indefinite sabbatical! She closed her programs, cancelled all speaking engagements and scaled her team of 9 down to 1.
WHY?
She felt like she was running on an unsustainable hamster wheel. And the joy she once felt about her business was no longer there.
This story speaks directly to the ‘Fear of Success’ so many entrepreneurs hold. The fear of what happens if your business succeeds. What if it does so well you can no longer keep up?
For women, especially mothers or anyone who’s ever suffered corporate burnout, this is an especially frightening scenario.
Burnout is why I jumped off the fast track of my Engineering & Corporate Development career.
How about you? Do you fear burnout? Have you experienced it before? Let me know in the comments!
The great news is there are strategies you can implement to avoid business burnout.
Because you want a business that is financially successful, but also feels aligned AND sustainable – WITHOUT getting trapped on a hamster wheel.
One that nourishes you instead of depleting you.
So today, we’ll cover 5 principles that will help you create a sustainable & aligned business – and ensure you enjoy the journey along the way!
I’ll also share a hot tip to get you there faster along with the 2 questions that help you do so.
Let’s get into it!
Principle #1: Core Values
Your core values are what light you up most in life. They’re the reason certain things feel so great to you.
They connect you to your inner joy & sense of fulfilment – they’re what life is ultimately all about for you.
This is why core values are the very first thing I cover with my VIPs and my Aligned Business Mastermind.
Core values become your North Star, the guiding light that ensures your business lights you up, each & every day.
They should permeate every part of your business as well as HOW you do things, WHEN you do them, how OFTEN you do them, WHO WITH and WHO FOR.
Designing your business AROUND your core values is essential to building a business that truly aligns with your soul so you can feel deeply fulfilled every step of the way.
If you’d like some help uncovering your core values and creating more life balance, then grab my book Today’s Woman – Life Balance Secrets. Just click here to have it posted to you.
A lack of alignment with my core values is what caused me to leave my Engineering career.
I felt like I was just going through the motions, showing up to collect a paycheck. It all felt very disconnected & meaningless with no sense of purpose.
When I quit, I had no idea what to do next – but I knew I had to get out.
I became desperately unhappy and felt like my soul was slowly being sucked out of my body.
It left such an imprint on my body, that for years later, I still felt anxiety whenever I drove past that office building.
Principle #2: INTEGRATE BUSINESS & ALIGNMENT STRATEGIES
Most people create their business strategy, then try to shove alignment into the gaps.
But that’s a recipe for disaster!
Instead, you want to design your business strategy AROUND your alignment strategy.
You need the way you operate your business to support the ways in which you nourish your soul.
It’s critical to take care of yourself as you take care of your business – and doing it BY DESIGN is the key to maintaining a sense of balance in life.
Principle #3: ALIGNED EFFECTIVENESS
There’s a big difference between being effective, being productive and being efficient.
Being productive is about getting lots done.
Being efficient is about getting it done fast.
But being EFFECTIVE is about doing what truly matters.
When you take it a step further and practise ALIGNED EFFECTIVENESS, you’re getting into alignment BEFORE you get to work on the most important things that move the needle in your business!
This allows you to tap into an unlimited supply of energy & enthusiasm that fuels you from within.
It means you’re being pulled along by inspiration, rather than needing to be pushed by motivation.
In my finance business which I started after my divorce, I still didn’t get this right.
I started that business from a place of desperately wanting to create financial stability for myself and my children. I wanted to be my own boss and have a financially successful business.
And I did it – but something was missing.
The business was running me instead of me running the business.
And before you know it, again felt like I was going through the motions. I had to force myself to go to work & everything felt heavy.
It started to feel just like my corporate job.
Yes, I loved the money and I loved helping my clients achieve their dreams.
But I didn’t enjoy the pressure & deadliness, the mindless nitpicking over details and being at the mercy of banks and credit managers on power trips.
I had used my business as a means to an end, rather than creating it to fulfil my needs along the way.
I was very blessed because I could hand it all over to my husband while I built a new business that truly lit me up, armed with everything I’d learnt along the way.
I not only got to do the work I wanted to do in the way I wanted to do it – I also got to FEEL the way I wanted to feel while I was doing it!
Leaving the finance business I’d worked so hard to create as a broke single mum was a scary thing to do. But I knew it was necessary if I wanted to avoid burning out again and ever feel truly fulfilled by my work.
Principle #4: GOLDEN RULES
Enforcing your golden rules is essential to retaining a sense of balance and maintaining your energetic alignment.
The trick is to be clear on what they are and to make them non-negotiable.
This will ensure you’re building a business that suits YOU, not others.
So what are golden rules?
Golden rules are guidelines you set for yourself that will ensure your business remains in alignment with your values and your soul’s needs.
GOLDEN RULES KEEP YOU SANE
Here’s some examples:
- no more than 2 client facing hours per day
- no more than 2 out of office meetings per week.
- NEVER work Fridays
- Meditate BEFORE checking messages in the morning
Your golden rules will be your own, but whatever they are, they should honour your core values and support your alignment strategy.
Principle #4: GOLDEN GOOSE (LIBERATED)
What’s a Golden Goose?
YOU are the Golden Goose, baby!
Your time and energy are precious & irreplaceable resources.
Which means that every player and process in your business should be supporting and protecting you so you can play your role.
Here are 2 principles that will help:
1. Know what’s urgent vs what’s IMPORTANT
- Less is more!
You need to be willing to delete or delegate tasks and projects.
To help you decide what to delete or delegate, just ask these 2 questions:
1. Does this task need to be done at all?
- If so – can it be done by someone else?
This will go a long way towards simplifying your business so you can focus on the things that are truly important and actually move the needle.
It will help avoid you spinning your wheels & burning out on low level tasks that don’t need to be done at all – or make very little difference.
And if you’re reading this, thinking, “I really need help but feel like I can’t afford it!”, then be sure to catch the next episode! Because that is exactly what we’re going to cover for you.
In the meantime, remember you can grab my Life Balance Secrets book at the link below if you need help with that.
xx Miriam
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