Passion is an Essential Ingredient for the Solo Entrepreneur

Don't misunderstand I am passionate about business and excited about the opportunities I have to help other business owners each and everyday. Somehow I had slipped into the trap of self-satisfaction and complacency, which is the antithesis of passion.

I am not that different than the millions of solo entrepreneurs that wake up each day with the ability to choose their destiny. We have it all. We have the experience, knowledge, and potential to make a real difference - but unless we tap into our passion - we will just plug away at it.

We will get by and make do except we will not feel the intense passion and excitement that we deserve, I have come to the realization that I have not given myself permission to really enjoy my work while doing what I want..

Wait a minute is this the same guy that wrote two books while running a business? Good point, I guess I should tell you the standard that I am using to measure my performance. Before I do that I want to share a few observations.

Complacency Is Subtle

In our society complacency is like a cold. No one wants to catch it but we all end up with the symptoms eventually. Complacency is not a disease, the dictionary states that complacency is "self-satisfaction accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies". How is it that an intelligent, motivated entrepreneur could become complacent? Am I stupid? Do I lack character? Am I slow? No, we have simply lost perspective.

How We Lose Perspective

Remember the day you made the decision to start your business? Remember how excited you were? For me it was like the world was at my feet - no more limitations. I could follow my nose and do anything I wanted. That is where the problem begins.

Unfettered freedom without structure creates its own problems including wasting time on projects that do not move the business forward, spending money without considering the impact on the businesses financial health, and a lack of structure.

We Need A Higher Standard

As I have stated the antidote to complacency is passion - for personal and business excellence and constantly expand my comfort zone as I explore the business development landscape.

Plan for Business

Obviously, I am a fan of business planning. But it wasn't always that way. If anyone was a doubting Thomas regarding the value of writing a business plan it was me. Just like you I did not want to waste my time creating a document that would not make a difference in my business, nor should you.

A Plan Provides Context

I have been writing and researching the topic of business planning for nearly a decade. All of the books I read on the topic business planning put me to sleep. When I was writing my Tips and Traps For Writing a Effective Business Plan I set myself a high standard - it had to be a practical tool as well as a useful strategic planning process.

The book will be in stores summer of 2006, before starting a business plan you first need to get a clear and compelling vision and my new Performance Bridge - 7 Steps to Achieving the Results You Want will walk you through a simple process to build your vision. Then you can go to How to Write a Business Plan to get started on writing your business plan.