Keeping your sites focused on the most important thing can sometime be hard when starting up a new business.

I just read a blog by Pamela Slim about entering the new year powerfully. I looked at her ideas and thought, “Those are great, but I just need money coming in right now.” One thing that I find myself losing sight of as the months roll by and I still don’t have my business off the ground is perspective. I lose the fact that this is a journey and I start to focus on the end product, money.

Right now I find it difficult to think about what I could be proud of as an addition to my “body of work.” I’m more concerned with having any work. When I stop to think about values I find my mind thinking about the business plan that is still unfinished. How would I define success this year? I would define it as being able to pay all the monthly bills without having to dip into our retirement savings.

However, when I look at the big picture I realize that when we lose sight of the questions Pamela asked, we also lose sight of ourselves, and our purpose for existing or creating the business of our dreams. When we are up to our necks in figuring out how to put up a web site, do social media, creating offers, etc., it is extremely easy to just get in a rut of working like a dog all day without any focus. All your creativity goes out the window when you do this, plus, at least for me, I suddenly start to feel panicked and like I’m being swallowed alive by the business I wanted, that would to allow me to have some freedom in my life.

I’ll be honest, I don’t know how to balance this all: relationship, house, social, and business. Right now I feel like I’m failing at all of them. However, I know enough to keep my head above water. If I can do that much at some point things will start to fall into place. First I’ll find a board to help me stay afloat, then a dingy, then the oars to the dingy will be found and suddenly I’ll see land within a reasonable rowing distance. If you find yourself feeling like you’re going under, just keep your head above water. It will eventually get better…