What does success look like for you?
When we started Tardis Advice, Tanya and I had a number of in-depth discussions about what we wanted the business to be. We talked about what kind of experience we wanted to give our clients; what types of people we wanted to work with and have the skills to best help; and of course, our own personal goals.
There were financial goals too, but we knew we didn’t want to build the biggest business around. Instead, our personal goals were very much built around making the business work well within our lives – right now, and how we wanted our life to look in the future.
We saw having balance as a vital measure of our success.
So, we made decisions that supported that desire. We chose an office close to where we live, so our commute was less than 10 minutes. We set profit and income goals to allow us to live off one wage, so one parent could be Naomi’s full-time carer before she goes to school. We also decided to be home by 6pm for bath time with Naomi each night.
How could you resist this face?
Those discussions and how we decided to define success for ourselves, have guided us when we’ve had to make decisions along the way. We mapped a path and haven’t got too sidetracked by things that look interesting or seem like opportunities, because we know where we want to get to and what we want to achieve.
It’s a bit like having a north star; a clear destination; a pin on a map.
And it puts you in control. Your decisions become more conscious and focused.
But it’s not an easy thing to do, and the process can be a little uncomfortable. Getting clarity about what you want to achieve forces you to think not only about the future, but the now. And you start asking questions like, “Why am I working so hard?” and “What am I pushing towards?”.
As a financial planner, I have these discussions regularly. It’s vital to understand where people want to get to. Without it, how can we create a plan?
“Are your actions aligned with the outcomes you want?”
Say, for example, you want to work a 4-day week. What do you need to do on those 4 days to make sure you can have the next 3 days off? How do you need to structure your business or job or finances?
And what if you want to travel overseas each year and send the kids to private school? What decisions do you need to make to support those goals?
It’s worth taking the time to think it all through. Find a quiet spot, sit down with your partner and seriously talk about it. Don’t make assumptions about what you or your partner want. It can be a tricky conversation, but be open, honest and receptive to ideas.
Then, set a path to help you get there and guidelines for decisions along the way. Check-in regularly as you begin to make progress. And ask yourself, “Am I still on track? Am I still working towards stuff I care about? Or have my priorities changed?”
Adjust, and keep moving forward.
I know I make it sound easy. Truth is, it’s not. The concept is simple, but few people take the time to find that north star and plot a path. But the most successful people I meet, know where they’re headed.
— Stef