I had a great conversation with myself this morning… It has been a year and a half since I have opened Edge Of Change and I have known for the last few months that the business was not moving forward, and neither was I. At least that is how it felt to me.
I have been working long hours and checking things off my task list of things to do. And I have been pretty good at staying on track. Still I have felt the company stagnating.
While I was going over my business plan and looking at all the things I have been doing, I noticed that I have done a lot of things I said I would be doing by this time and I have been sticking to my plan. So why with all that I have accomplished do I feel like I am stuck?
As I was pondering I happened to catch my eyes over to my companies core values: Freedom, Courage, Outrageousness, and Integrity, and my internal conversation started to take on a different perspective.
The question changed from focusing on why I feel stagnant to one asking where in my business am I fully living my core values and what parts of my business have strayed?
The LIGHT bulb went off big time…
I ran myself and the company through the core values one at a time and asked myself:
“Am I, and the company, being “freedom” and what does that truly mean to me?
Asking this question at this point in time was important – because building a business does take an investment of time, energy and love.
Am I, and the company, being Courageous? If the company is being courage what would be happening right now that I might be holding back on?
OH This was a biggy for me.
Am I, and the company, being outrageous?
And another right-between-the-eyes answer came to me. Do I really stand out or am I just doing what I think I am supposed to be doing?
And last core value is integrity. A calm came over me because this one I knew the answer to right away. I know that both the company and myself are fully in integrity. Another question popped up then for me.
OK… if you and the company are firmly in integrity, what do you need to do to be in integrity with the other core values? …And the answers started flowing.
I love the challenge that a few simple questions can bring. Doing the work will bring us right back into alignment.
At times it is exhilarating and at other times it can be a little scary. Getting to step out and get out on those skinny branches.
Then again isn’t that why most of us start our own business!
Now it is your turn…
Look at your companies’ core values. Where are you honoring them? Where do you want to explore them more? What’s next?
Be outrageous and share your answers in the comment section below.
Wishing you the best always
Corinne McElroy