So back in episodes 155-160, I walked you through a strategic planning process for your side hustle to help you plan for the next year.
But what about the next two years? Five years? Even ten years?
Do you have a long-term vision for your side hustle?
One of the things that I’ve never been great at is looking at the future.
I remember when I was in a long-term relationship with a guy in college and my sister would ask me, “So what’s up with you guys? Are you planning to get married?” and I’d be like “I don’t have any plans. We’re going to a concert next month, so I imagine we’ll still be together then…”
And even when it came to going to college, it wasn’t like I had this whole plan mapped out. It was more like, “High school’s over. College is next. Job comes after that.”
And I dreaded, DREADED, answering the “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” question in job interviews. I’m like, “I’m 22. In 5 years I’ll be 27. I have no idea.” Even now, I’m 38. In 5 years I’ll be 43. What will be different? Who knows???
My husband and I dated for 7 years before we got married. We took our future commitments slowly. One year lease. Dog – that’s at least 10 years. Mortgage – 30. Okay, let’s get married! I mean, it’s not as dull as I make it sound, but that’s kinda how my mind worked.
The reason WHY I don’t plan for the future – that probably needs to be unpacked by a therapist, but what I can tell you is that when I have no plan and no objective, I start to lose my motivation.
Take my side hustle for example. When I started it, I had a clear long-term goal: quit my day job. Side hustle as long as it takes to grow it to the point where it replaced my income, and then quit.
But it wasn’t a deliberate three year plan, even though it took me three years.
I reached the goal. I did it.
So now what??? I got everything I wanted. Why do I feel like I need more?
Again, the answer came from the Great British Baking Show. I tell you, I’m obsessed.
One of the bakers, Kimberley, was talking about how she felt like she did well, but she still wasn’t satisfied. She mentioned the term kaizen – saying it was a Japanese word for continuous improvement. I looked it up, it really is.
And that’s how I feel, like I always want to improve. But to what end?
I can plan next week. I can plan next month – even next quarter.
But going beyond the next 3 to 6 months, it’s unclear. Like hmm… what do I want to achieve next?
My business coach, Vicki Fitch, after we had been working together for a few months, shared with me that she had a vision for me but I think she sensed that I wasn’t ready to hear it. Like, I didn’t have the belief in myself enough to believe that vision was possible.
And over time, she’s revealed pieces of it to me, very slowly. I still don’t think I know what the whole thing looks like…
I’m attending what I’m calling a girlboss mastermind retreat next weekend, and we had a couple of getting to know you calls beforehand where we were asked about our goals, and I said that I wanted to be the Amy Porterfield of web design someday.
That’s a pretty vague goal. I mean, what does that even mean? Sure, she runs a multi-million dollar business and is the expert when it comes to online marketing from facebook ads to list building to building an online course to selling that course with webinars.
Is that what I really want?
So I went to lunch with a friend the other day and she was sharing with me a method of goal setting she learned from the network marketing company she’s been in for years – and it’s a set of 5 action steps to help you identify your long term goals.
So this info is coming from a worksheet from a woman named Amber Towne Geehan, and in it she mentions Zig Ziglar so I’m not sure who to attribute this method to, but regardless I’m sharing it with you because I plan to walk through this myself to figure out what my Long Term Vision for my business is now – and I invite you to do this yourself.
You can see these questions over at shannonmattern.com/163 – so that you can walk through this yourself when you’re ready:
Okay, so here we go:
Action Step 1. Make a Dream List.
Let your imagination run wild.
Write down, pen to paper, everything you want to be, do or have.
When you print it – meaning writing it down – your concentration is greater and you burn the idea more indelibly into your subconscious mind.
If you have a family, be sure to include your partner and children when you set your goals.
The entire goal setting process helps channel your logical left brain and frees your creative right brain for a more effective use of your imagination.
Note, you’ve got to be before you can do and you have to do before you can have.
Action Step 2. Wait 24-48 hours and answer the question “why” for each item you have printed on your dream list.
This is a list of things you want to be, do or have.
If you can’t verbalize in one sentence why you want to be, do or have then it truly is a dream and not a real goal.
At this point, you should cross it off your list.
Action Step 3. Ask these five questions, all of which you have to be able to say “yes” to:
- Is this really my goal?
- Is it morally right and fair to everyone concerned?
- Is it consistent with my other goals?
- Can I emotionally commit myself to finish this goal?
- Can I see myself reaching this goal?
Answering these questions will further reduce the number of dreams on your things I really want to be, do or have sheet so cross them off as well. Answering number 2 and number 3 will be very helpful in making important decisions in all areas of your life, especially financial.
Action Step 4. For each remaining dream, ask yourself:
- Will reaching this goal make me happier?
- Will it make me healthier?
- Will it make me more prosperous?
- Will this goal help me win more friends?
- Will this goal give me peace of mind?
- Will reaching this goal make me more secure?
- Will reaching this goal improve my relationships with others?
If you can’t answer “yes” to at least one of these questions, eliminate that item from the list of dreams. Be careful not to confuse pleasure and happiness and be sure to consider your family when you answer these questions.
Action Step 5. Divide the remaining goals into three categories:
Short Range (one month or less);
Intermediate (one more to one year);
Long Range (1 year or more)
Mark them “SR” (short range), “I” (intermediate) and LR (long range) on your things I really want to be, do or have sheet.
Remember, some goals:
- Must be big – out of reach – not out of sight though. It has to make you stretch and it helps you grow into your full potential.
- Must be long range to keep you on track and greatly the reduce the possibility of short range frustration.
- Must be small and daily to keep you disciplined and in touch with the reality of the nitty gritty of daily life.
- Must be ongoing.
- Might require analysis or consultation to determine where you are before you can set the goal (weight loss, marathon)
- Should be specific. A nice home is not as good as a 3,000 square foot Tudor style home with 4 baths, 3 full baths, etc.
So I shared with you the Chalene Johnson’s PUSH goal method back in episode 158 and how I used it to set the goal to build a team so that I could accomplish some other goals – but I still don’t have a LONG TERM VISION for 2020 and beyond.
Am I scared to dream big? Maybe.
Do I fear the responsibility of what that big dream might mean? Probably.
Am I worried about my ability to become the person I need to become to accomplish the big dream? Possibly.
And because I know that when I’m avoiding something or feeling averse to doing it I know that I need to run into the discomfort rather than away from it, I’m going to spend some time figuring out what the long term vision is for me. Not just business, but for me.
And I invite you to do the same, and then head over to shannonmattern.com/163 and let me know what your long-term vision is!
Today’s pep talk is brought to you by Bluehost. Go to www.shannonmattern.com/bluehost and get 36 months of web hosting for just $2.95 a month. That’s less than one trip to Starbucks a month – and if you’re anything like me, you’re at Starbucks more than that!
Then you can sign up for my Free 5 Day Website Challenge at www.shannonmattern.com/5day and I’ll show you step by step how to get started building your new website for your side hustle.
