Why these 6 Stages?
Running a business can look very different from one person to the next, but many of the challenges we experience are surprisingly similar.
We become overwhelmed. We lose clarity. We get frustrated. We drift away from what naturally suits us. Sometimes we lose our motivation. Other times we become so driven that we stop enjoying what we already have.
After more than two decades of working with business owners, I’ve come to see these as six areas worth paying attention to when we’re trying to build a business and life that genuinely suit us.
I don’t see them as six boxes to tick. You might recognise yourself in one stage, or several.
They’re simply a way of noticing where something could feel better, and what might help you move forward.
Self-respect
It’s easy to spend so much time looking after the business, your clients and the people around you that you don’t leave much time for yourself.
Self-respect is about putting yourself back into your priorities. Not ahead of everyone else, but alongside them.
And when that happens, there’s more space to think clearly and make better decisions.
Clarity
It’s hard to make good decisions when you’re not clear on what you actually want or what's right for you.
It’s easy to get caught up in what you think you should be doing, what other people are doing, or simply dealing with whatever is in front of you.
Clarity is about taking the time to work out what’s important to you and what actually suits you.
Once you’re clear on that, decisions tend to become a lot easier.
Alignment
Sometimes the problem isn’t the business itself. It’s that the way you’re running it doesn’t really suit you.
You can end up with responsibilities you don’t enjoy, clients you’re not well suited to, or a way of working that takes more out of you than it needs to.
Alignment is about shaping the business around who you are, what’s good for you and how you work best.
When the fit is right, business feels easier and more enjoyable. You feel more connected to what you’re doing, with more energy left for everything else that matters to you too.
Interaction
People can be one of the best parts of business. They can also be one of the most frustrating.
Clients, employees, suppliers and even the people closest to us can take up a lot of mental space when things aren’t going well.
Interaction is about understanding people better, communicating more clearly and finding healthy ways to manage the variety of situations that come up.
When relationships work better, there’s less frustration and more room for connection, trust and enjoyment.
Progression
Most of us have things we’d like to change or make progress on, but knowing what to do doesn’t always mean we do it.
Sometimes we get stuck because the next step isn’t clear. Other times we’re trying to force ourselves to do something that doesn’t really suit us.
Progression is about finding a way forward that works for you, rather than relying on pressure or forcing yourself to stay motivated.
When progress feels more natural, it becomes easier to keep moving and enjoy where you’re heading.
Acceptance
It’s easy to spend a lot of time thinking about what needs to change. That can include our circumstances, but also ourselves.
We can convince ourselves we need to be more driven, more outgoing, more disciplined or simply different from who we naturally are.
Acceptance is about becoming more comfortable with who we are, while also appreciating where we are and what we already have.
You can feel settled today, while still being excited about tomorrow.
Which stage are you in?
These stages aren’t a journey you complete once.
We move between them as our business and life change. You might recognise yourself strongly in one stage, or see a little of yourself in several.
The useful part is noticing where you are now and what might help you move towards where you’d rather be.
I’ve created Find Your Stage to help you take a closer look at where you are across all six stages.
It will help you recognise what’s working, what might be getting in your way, and where making a few changes could make a meaningful difference to how your business and life feel.
