The end of the year is a great time for self-reflection. It’s a time when you can ask questions to help clarify and inform about your clients, profits, processes and more. But here are five unusual questions you’ve possibly never asked before; the answers to which might boost both your joy and sales in 2020.
Question 1: When did I laugh the most?
This may seem like a light-hearted question but it’s surprisingly serious. The moments where you enjoyed a genuine, wholesome laugh were likely the moments where you felt a pure sense of joy. This is a priceless mental health boost that benefits you in both work and play.
So, can you pinpoint when you laughed the most? For example, if you laughed heartily and regularly with a particular peer or colleague, can you collaborate or interact with them more often? If you laughed most with a friend or family member, can you engineer your work-life balance to spend more time with them?
“Two popular answers to the question about what you love most about being a business owner are ‘freedom’ and ‘flexibility’. However, many have been so busy and/or stressed that they enjoyed neither. “
Question 2: When did I feel the most excited during my workday ?
Have you ever wanted to jump out of bed to start the work day? If so, you know how invigorating it feels to be EXCITED!
Did you get excited when delivering a presentation, attending networking events, working with a particular type of client, or doing a specific stream of work?
Whatever made you excited, can you do that more often? For example, if you’re a graphic designer who absolutely loved creating logos for mechanics, but spent most of your year designing corporate annual reports, can you set aside time next year to attract more of your ideal logo-designing clients from the motor industry?
Question 3: In what clothes did I feel the most comfortable?
Some of us like to chill out in trakies while others like to dress to impress. Your preferred attire is generally (but not always) a good indicator of your preferred work style. For example, if you love getting dressed up, can you attend more events? If you prefer wearing pyjamas all day, maybe less client meetings are the go? Wear more of what you love, and love the way you work.
Question 4: What’s my reply to, “What do you love most about being a business owner?”
We all enjoy being business owners for different reasons, what’s your favourite reason? And, in the past year, did you get enough of that wondrous thing you love so much?
Two popular answers to this question are “freedom” and “flexibility”. However, many have been so busy and/or stressed that they enjoyed neither. If this is you, can you outsource some tasks, speak to a coach or fire some clients? Whatever you love most about being a micro business owner, can you get more of it in the New Year?
Question 5: What food and drink did I enjoy the most?
Food and drink are a big, enjoyable part of our lives, so why not let some of that joy infiltrate into your workday? In offices there are Friday night drinks, working lunches, birthday cakes and more, but when working for yourself, food can become the stuff you shovel down your throat at the computer.
So, what did you love eating and drinking the most in the past year? If you loved a particular dish at a local restaurant, can you have client lunches there? Can you create your own Friday night drinks with colleagues? Can you meet with prospects at your favourite café, or have your very own brainstorming sessions there? Or, can you simply ensure you eat away from your desk/workspace more often? Your favourite food can certainly lift your mood, and perhaps increase productivity and sales too.
Although these five questions are slightly different to the ones you usually read about, if you choose to ask them, the answers may provide useful insights to help boost business and happiness in 2020. I hope they do!
This article by Lucinda Lions is reproduced with the permission of Flying Solo – Australia’s micro business community. Find out more and join over 100K others.
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