If we were having a discussion 3 years from today, and you were looking back over those 3 years, what has to have happened in your life, both personally and professionally, for you to feel happy with your progress?
That’s from Dan Sullivan… he’s a world-class coach and consultant, and he’s a genius at what he does.
And I think about his question a lot.
Like so many ambitious entrepreneurs, I can get caught up in growing my business for the sake of growing my business.
I can get addicted to progress and expansion and sometimes I don’t know when to stop.
Don’t get me wrong…
I love the challenge, I love the chase. I love hitting goals and targets and exceeding expectations…
The drive to do better and be world-class at what I do has brought me a lot of success and satisfaction.
But I know from personal experience that growing for the sake of growing and going for the next goal just because it’s there can lead to frustration, exhaustion and burnout… things that make you want to throw in the towel and buy a one-way ticket to a remote tropical island (preferably someplace where there’s no internet!).
The Dan Sullivan Question helps keep things real.
It keeps me grounded, so every goal, every sales campaign and every business idea is something I choose to work on because I know it’s right for me and my business…
Not because I’m addicted to the adrenaline rush that comes from chasing bigger, better, faster, more.
Bigger Better, Faster, More
So, what makes so many entrepreneurs go after bigger, better, faster, more in the first place?
What gets them addicted to the chase? What turns them into adrenaline junkies?
I’d say a lot of it has to do with ego.
It feels good to be at the top where people love you and want to follow you or work with you and you don’t want it to stop.
Then there are people who get all the way to the top and realize their ladder is up against the wrong wall!
So, there’s this group of 7 and 8-figure business owners I know and they all built online empires from scratch.
It was nothing but “go, go, go” and “grow, grow, grow” for years.
But when they hit the pause button and looked at what they built, they realized it wasn’t really what they wanted anymore.
And so, one woman (she’s huge online) shut down her main business.
Another multiple 7-figure entrepreneur downsized his company — he went from a massive 1-to-Many business model to taking on just a handful of high-profile clients each year.
Another sold his company and got out of the game.
So when they recognized the things they were doing in their business didn’t feel meaningful to them anymore, they had the guts to do what needed to be done…
They let go of the things that didn’t feel right anymore and started working on the things that did.
They redefined the rules of success and reinvented their business on their terms in a way that aligned with who they are, what they want and how they want to show up in the world.
Get a REAL Job!
Sometimes, we end up addicted to growing our business because of external situations, challenges and pressures.
Or it might be that you don’t want to disappoint a friend or a coach or mentor who believes in you and wants you to go further in your business.
Maybe it’s pressure from family members or a partner who wants you to help pay the bills. So they want you to stop “playing around online and get a real job!”
Here’s the deal…
There’ll be people who think you can make it and you’ll want to prove them right…
And there’ll be people who think you can’t make it and you’ll want to prove them wrong.
But when all you’re doing is proving yourself to others when all of your time and energy is about not letting people down or not letting them get you down…
You’re ignoring the one thing that truly matters… what YOU want.
And if you continue to play this game, I guarantee that sooner or later…
You’re going to end up disillusioned, disappointed and dissatisfied with your business.
It’s Never Too Late to Make a Different Choice
Back when I first started out, I never saw myself as a business adrenaline junkie. I was 100% blind to it up until the day my business coach pointed it out to me.
And that’s when the truth hit me like a ton of bricks… how had I not seen it before?
I realized that I needed something really BIG to get my energy going in my business and then I just kept going and going and going… I didn’t know when to stop!
And that led me to burnout and a whole lot of loss…
So, here’s the million-dollar question: are YOU a business adrenaline junkie?
If you find that you need something really big, to get your energy going in your business…
If you need something like a big launch or stage appearance in front of hundreds or thousands of people or a massive surge of subscribers or followers or income to feel excited or even satisfied…
Then you’re probably a business adrenaline junkie.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is it’s never too late to shift…
It’s never too late to make a different choice.
Remember, you’re in charge — not your coach or your friends or anyone else in your industry — and so you get to choose.
You get to choose if you want to build a massive business that serves thousands of people.
You get to choose if you want to stay where you are if that feels good to you.
You get to choose to grow at your own pace.
You get to make all the decisions based on what makes you happy and what matters to you.
And here’s something else I want you to know…
Success and satisfaction doesn’t have to be about sacrifice.
It doesn’t have to be about broken promises, missed birthdays and sleepless nights…
You don’t have to give up what you love to get what you want.
So now that you know this, let’s try The Dan Sullivan Question!
I want you to take a deep breath, think about your business and your life, and ask the question…
3 years from now, what needs to be different in your life and your business for you to be happy?
Share your answers in the comments below! I personally read and reply to each one 🙂
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