Do what you do with love, using your strengths and providing great value to people

Doing what you do is the most important decision you can make.  You need to be working

Why I'm not a graphic designer

within that sweet spot at the intersection of your passion, your strength and what people value enough to pay for.

Hugh MacLeod illustrates it perfectly here.

Doing what you do starts with passion.  You need to know what you are passionate about – as you ask yourself this question, don’t think about it in terms of what work you are passionate about, but rather what things you enjoy doing.  Then build a business around that.

Building a business is hard work, so being passionate about what you do, means you feel like you are playing more than you are working.  “Find work you love and you will never work a day in your life” – Confucious

I am passionate about people having the life they want.  I believe if we all do that, the world will be a better place.  For instance, I like libraries.  When my business is going well, I can spend time working towards building a new library in my community.

Strengths

One of the disadvantages of running a small shop is that it’s all on you to do what needs doing.  When we work from our strengths, again it doesn’t feel like work and we accomplish much more.  When I am chasing a bookkeeping question or discussing someone’s business or gathering and sharing information, I am in my element.  Time flies and I accomplish great things.

According to the Strengths Finder my strengths are futuristic, learner, input, maximizer and strategic.  I’m at my best getting information and figuring out the best ways to accomplish what needs doing.  I’m good at it and when I spend my days this way, I feel energized and excited rather than tired.

People will pay for it

This is often the hard part.  You need to find that thing that people value enough to pay you well to do or provide.  If  you provide value and you offer a fair exchange you will succeed.

Bookkeeping is a tough one on this count.  I am passionate about helping people; I’m very good at bookkeeping; but it’s not a high value service.  It must be done, it’s a pain for most people, but it’s one that doesn’t help their bottom line directly and it often results in them paying taxes.  Many people have the sense that it’s a fairly easy job that almost anyone can do.  As I said, a tough one.

The Financial SMARTS for small business coaching I do, on the other hand, hits my passion and my strengths and people can see the value of that pretty clearly.  A winner!

It remains to be seen how we do with that here on the Business Owners Success Club.  Again, it hits my passion and my strengths.  Let’s see how people value it.  I’m excited to see how we grow.

Do what you do with love, using your strengths and providing great value to people.