What if there was one skill that would transform your business? What if you could shift from confusion and spinning your wheels to traction and consistent income? I believe that developing the skill of focus has power, and today I’ll share 4 benefits of being focused in your biz.
We’ve been in a series about consistent income over the past few weeks. I talked to you about the key ingredients to consistent income in episode 76 and then Biblical money mindset in episode 77.
Most of the women I talk to want consistent income, but some of them are struggling to get there.
Here’s why:
- There are hundreds of voices sharing their advice about how you should build an online business and it’s hard to figure out who to follow; so sometimes you get paralyzed OR you try to patchwork a bunch of different tactics and approaches
- You might be multi-passionate and you are FULL of ideas and potential ways to share your expertise – and you struggle with picking something – you want to do all the things or you fear choosing the WRONG thing
- You don’t have a path to follow that allows you to stay aligned with your faith and values and reach your financial goals. So instead you feel like you are just spinning your wheels and going nowhere.
It’s no surprise that the majority of people who start an online business end up throwing in the towel.
With so many different ideas and tactics and methods to choose from, and without seeing much progress with all the effort you’re putting in, it’s tough to figure out the way forward.
And without regular cash flow into your business, it’s easy to wonder if it’s even worth it to keep going. (Maybe that full-time job really is the answer, after all).
So what is the antidote to spinning your wheels, feeling scattered and trying to do all the things to grow your business, and jumping from idea to idea, thinking that the next one surely will be the one that takes off.
What is the solution to finally earning consistent income in your business?
Here’s the truth: Creating consistent income in your business is not rocket science. But it does take one thing: FOCUS.
Specifically, intentional focus on a few key activities instead of trying to do all the things. It’s that simple.
I know, I know… you might be rolling your eyes at me saying, “Esther, it can’t be that easy!”
It’s not easy, but I do believe that focus is the answer to MANY of our challenges in online business, and if we can learn to focus on the right things, we can truly see momentum and growth.
On my upLIFT mastermind call this week, a topic came up that often comes up with the women I work with. Essentially it was this: how do I streamline all the things that I am doing and really gain momentum in my business?
Before I shared my thoughts, several of the women in the group chimed in with their input.
One of the women said, “the power is in the focus”. She shared how getting clear on what she wanted and then focusing on it has really shifted things in her business.
And I wholeheartedly agree. There is power in focusing in your business, and I want to share some of the benefits here.
4 Benefits of Focusing in Your Business
1. Focus keeps you from getting sidetracked by exciting or sometimes dangerous things.
One time my family took a trip out west and we drove from Salt Lake City to Montana, stopping at several national parks along the way. At one point, we drove through Beartooth Pass in Wyoming. It’s considered one of the most dangerous roads in the US, if not the world, to drive on.
To quote a blogger writing about this road:
“It’s also one of the most dangerous routes. Reaching an elevation of 10,947 feet above sea level at its highest point, Beartooth Highway winds and wends its way through twenty peaks that exceed 12,000 feet on hairpin curves marked by sheer drop-offs and guardrails that offer the barest illusion of safety.”
For this portion of our trip, I was the one driving. It was a drive that required focus. You better believe I had my hands at 10 and 2 and I was not gonna glance to the side or anywhere else other than the road. It was incredibly scary but also thrilling and beautiful at the same time. Thankfully my husband took a couple videos which you can check out here.
Most of the time focus is not about a life or death situation. Sometimes focus is a matter of choosing whether to allow a fun distraction to slow you down or not.
But in your business, focus is what will keep you moving towards your goal. It’s so easy to get sidetracked by shiny objects or by new marketing tactics. But the truth is, when you stay focused, you are often going to see progress much faster than those who are always jumping onto the latest trend.
2. Focus gives you credibility.
Listen I know you have lots of ideas and loads of potential businesses you can start and run, potentially successfully. But the truth is, when you jump from idea to idea, you sometimes lose credibility to those who are around you. It is harder for them to send you business and even to understand what you do.
For example, when I was in the network marketing space, it was quite common for women to have signed up with several different companies. I knew people who were a Pampered Chef consultant, plus they sold scrapbooking supplies and also essential oils. They had the approach that they were going to earn more income by selling all three different types of products.
This happens in the online space too, and I’ve done it myself! Trying to grow 2 or 3 different businesses or having 2 or 3 very different avatars or offers…
But you know what happens? This actually makes it HARDER to gain traction. AND it causes confusion for others around you.
When you focus, however, on one main business, you gain credibility. You become known for something. You become referable because people know who you can help and how you help them.
3. Focus lowers stress and overwhelm.
Another benefit of focus is that it lowers the potential for stress and overwhelm in your business.
A couple of years ago, we were trying to clean up our yard. We have a section of trees that is beautiful, but it’s sometimes overrun with brush and dead branches, etc. So one day I had a plan to clean it up and burn the brush.
Because of the size of the area, we ended up with 2 piles in 2 spots, a ways away from each other. So I was out there by myself later on, determined to get rid of the brush. And I started one fire, got it going, and decided to start the other brush pile fire.
Have you ever tried to manage 2 fires? Well, it’s not easy! As I monitored one fire, I would have to glance over to the other one to make sure it wasn’t getting out of control. Then, I’d pop over to the other one but feel nervous about the first one.
Of course I had access to a hose and tools, etc, if anything got out of control, and my husband was also available if I needed. But overall, managing 2 fires by yourself is not an easy thing!
And this is how it is with business. If you are trying to manage 2 businesses or even two drastically different legs of your business, neither one of them gets your full focus. Therefore, you have kind of this ongoing stress and overwhelm that something might happen in one of them when you are not paying attention to it.
But when you choose to focus on one main business – one main big idea – you can be much more relaxed.
4. Focus leads to financial growth.
Lastly, focus will help you create consistent income! When you make the brave step to focus your efforts, it will lead to financial growth.
I’ve seen this in my own business journey, as well as with clients in my upLIFT Mentormind. But I also have experienced it and seen with clients that I’ve served inside of their businesses. Probably the most powerful example of this is my friend and client Natalie Gingrich.
I was on her podcast this week and we discussed our journey of working together for 5 years. Part of our conversation is about how BOTH of us have had to make decisions in our business to focus, and for both of us, this has led to financial success.
I want to play you a short clip of the convo. For context, Natalie is sharing about when she made the decision to go all in on one main audience and one main offer. Previously she had been focusing on 2 separate audiences and she had multiple offers and client work – and it was A LOT.
But then she had that moment when she decided to focus. For Natalie, choosing to focus was scary – but ultimately it is what led her to more financial success than doing all the different things she had been doing up to that point.
So this is what I want you to know. When you choose to focus, it can lead you to consistent income!
Hopefully you can see from this episode why it’s so valuable to focus in your business.
Your Next Steps to Focusing in Your Business:
The next question is: what do I need to focus on? And HOW do I get that focus?
What you need to focus on is the right activities in the right order. AND you need to focus your thoughts in the right place.
Because here’s another secret I’ve learned in 6+ years online: Your success in your business has A LOT to do with your mindset and the way you think about yourself, about others, and about God.
So how do you get that focus? Well, I’ve been working on something that I’m really excited to share with you, and it’s coming VERY soon. If you are listening in real time, this will be available next week.
It’s a program that will help you have a simple path to consistent income. Together, we’ll work through key focus areas of your business so that you’re investing in the things that truly matter rather than getting distracted by shiny objects or new ideas.
How can you make sure you know about this as soon as it’s open? Well the best way is if you are on my email list, and there’s still time to jump into my Consistent Clients Challenge. Even though today is the final day of the training, the replays will be up for a few more days, so you can jump in and go through the content right away!
Join the Consistent Clients Challenge here.
Replays are available through Tuesday, April 20, 2022.
Quotes to Note:
“Creating consistent income in your business is not rocket science. But it does take one thing: FOCUS.”
“Focus is the answer to MANY of our challenges in online business.”
“Focus is what will keep you moving towards your goal.”
“When you focus on one main business, you gain credibility.”
“When you make the brave step to focus your efforts, it will lead to financial growth.”
Connect with Esther:
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