Begin With the End

This is a blog for growth oriented insurance agencies. That implies that I’d like it to be useful for people who want to grow their business in size, profitability and impact right?  Yes.

When we start in business we often do that to create a better job for ourselves, a better future for our families or more income for those we work with.  Often, the entrepreneur begins his business in frustration at the inability to accomplish what he wants where he is.

Some entrepreneurs are good planners and some just go with their gut on key decisions.  But almost all of us really only look at a short window of time when we are imagining our business.  This time window may be a year or three or it may be a decade.  Almost always though it is too short a window – and this leads to a problem in how the business operates.

The problem?  We serve the business instead of it serving us.

Let me ask you to consider where you want to end up in life.  How old will you be?  What will you be doing at the end of your life?  What do you want to have accomplished?  What do you want to be worth?  What legacy do you want to leave?

These are the important things in life.  They are the things your business should serve.

So, how do we get there?

It’s simple really.  Begin with the end in mind.  I’d like ask you to do something.  Close your eyes and write down the age you will be the year you die.  Don’t think about it.  Write!  Now, how old are you?  How many years does that give you?

What are the answers to the questions I asked above?  What are the things you’d like t accomplish?  Make a list!

These are your lifetime goals.  Now, how will you get there?

Let’s start by deciding what has to happen in the next three years for the lifetime goals to be realized.  Make a new list.

Now, what must happen in the next 12 months to make the 3 year goals happen? New list.

What do you need to accomplish in the next 3 months for this year to work out?  New list!

What do you need to do now to meet your three year objectives?  To do list!

Begin with the end in mind and your business, and your life, will serve you instead of you serving it.