We all come to crossroads in our business. Sometimes that can mean we need to restructure or redefine what we want our working day to look like. Sometimes it can mean we decide on a new product or service, whether to introduce it, or abandon one that hasn’t sold as well as you’d hoped. Sometimes it means you look to increase the support around you and grow/build a team or streamline if it gets out of hand. Whatever the scenario, please know it’s normal and part of your business journey. 

‘Crossroads’ in business can be a fantastic opportunity to grow, progress, refine your Vision and success definition. However, sometimes those crossroads aren’t clear. It might feel like they suddenly appear like a blind bend, a crazy sat nav deviation or a herd of Cows in the road making you swerve. It can leave you feeling confused, chaotic or worse, doubting yourself. 

If you’ve run your own business you will have experienced this I am sure. I know I have. What I also know is that it has often opened up an opportunity or some learning that I can use moving forward, so whilst it felt discombobulating at the time (I’ve always wanted to use that word in a blog), it can be great in hindsight. 

Consequently, I wanted to write this blog for you to use as a reminder when you experience confusion or lack of clarity or when that Mean Little Cow voice comes calling to moo unhelpful narrative in your ear. I hope it helps.

5 steps to a clearer way forward. 

1. Take a step back. Allow yourself space to breathe and reconnect with yourself. Recharge energetically with a walk in nature or journal or exercise. Whatever helps you release stuck energy. Once you feel calmer, take a full business development day. Review all the wins that have brought you to where you are and all the mistakes you’ve resolved. Credit yourself. Really credit yourself. Don’t allow that ‘Mean Little Cow voice’ (inner critic)  to flood your thoughts and make you doubt yourself. 
   
   
2. Reconnect with your Vision. If you have a clear Vision and definition of success, is this crossroads going to take you closer or further away from what you thought you wanted? Has your Vision grown as you’ve grown or experienced success? If you don’t have a Vision, maybe now is the time to step into that energy and see where it takes you. Therein may lie the clarity you are craving. Once you feel that your Vision is clearer, use that to access your next level steps and the decisions you make based on that energy. Dream in the feminine. Do in the masculine. Balance is important.
   
   
3. Feel the fear. Does your next level dream scare you? Are you fearing the consequences of doing, or not doing, something that you know you need to do to make it a reality? Use the RISE Method© (see graphic below) in order to work through those doubts and fears generated by that ‘Mean Little Cow voice’ and your particularly dominant saboteurs. In using this technique the next level steps often present themselves and you can get back in your stride quickly. 

4. If it still feels too big and overwhelming ‘chunk’ it down. Start with a full SMART with a heart© Goal aligned to your Vision, then break it down into projects, then tasks, then ‘What’s getting on your TITs? (Top Important Tasks) this will feed your weekly work load and you can manage your energy to prioritise when you do it. Use the SAGE POWERS*

5. Still feeling unsure, foggy and not able to take a step forward, then the support of a coach or mentor might be what you need to move forward with your next steps. A coach can ask questions that your clouded brain might not be able to ask you. They aren’t as emotionally attached so it's easier for them to have questions that pull out those next steps. They can have a clearer perspective, until you regain yours. 

Mentors might be able to tell you what they did and how they did it and help you find a way forward using their methods. Actively seeking and getting the right support is a strength and can be a crucial milestone in your purpose driven business. 

When choosing a coach, be as clear as you can be on what you need to make progress. Not all coaches offer the same thing. Also have the self awareness to know if you will retreat in a group coaching situation or thrive. It’s not always the most cost effective way to get support if you find it difficult to show up vulnerably or with boundless, unapologetic energy in front of others. One to one coaching might be the better option for you, so researching what a coach has to offer and what other people say about the results they have had is important before you invest in the process. 

Finally, it’s important to say, you are ready for your next level steps. You will have the answers in you and know what steps to take next, so please do not berate yourself for getting to a place of confusion or experiencing self doubt. Genuinely, I believe it is a common part of the entrepreneurial journey. I’ve not long experienced a period like that myself and I used all the steps above to come out the other side. No shame, no beating myself up (OK I lie. There was Mean Little Cow voice action but I used the RISE Method© to move through it). Consequently, there will be a whole new aspect to your adventure to embark on on the other side of those woods. 

If you are at a crossroads in your business and you do need support I have opened the doors to my 90 Days to Be Clear and Rise - energy management movement one to one coaching programme that gives you the clarity of Vision you crave, the confidence to execute it and the energy to manage the highs and lows. To learn more, CLICK HERE 

“If you are considering this, go for it! Michala is fantastic - I’ve just completed this 90 Day programme and it’s been transformational. Highly recommend.” Melissa Turner, UK.

*Reference to Positive Intelligence, Shirzad Chamine