Episode 8: Align Your Business Strategy to Your Personal Goals
Welcome to Episode 8 of the Time for Living Podcast!
TRANSCRIPT
show notes
In this episode, we’re exploring how to align your business strategy with your personal goals. If you’ve ever felt like your business is running your life instead of supporting it, or you’re questioning whether your work aligns with your bigger purpose, this conversation is for you. We’ll guide you through the steps to ensure your entrepreneurial journey leads you toward the life you truly want to live.
Key Takeaways:
• Discover Your Purpose: Identify what truly lights you up and use it as your guiding star.
• Define Your Goals: Set clear, specific, and achievable goals that align with your purpose.
• Honor Your Values: Let your core values guide every decision in your business.
• Create an Action Plan: Break down big goals into manageable tasks and track your progress.
• Stay Flexible and Adapt: Embrace change and learn from unexpected detours.
By the end of this episode, you’ll have a roadmap to build a business that supports the life you envision, filled with purpose and fulfillment.
resources:
• How to do a Time Audit - Time For Living Podcast Episode 1
• Smart Calendar Scheduling - Time For Living Podcast Episode 3
• Join The LAB - Life Aligned Blueprint - https://timeforliving.co/lab
Let’s Connect:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timeforlivingco/
Final Thought: Remember, the journey of entrepreneurship is about creating a business that serves your life, not the other way around. Stay focused on what matters, embrace discipline, and let your personal goals lead the way. You’ve got this!
TRANSCRIPT
Today, we’re discussing a topic that’s super close to my heart—building a business strategy around your personal goals. If you’ve ever felt like your time is evaporating, or that your business is taking over your life instead of fitting into it, or you’re wondering if your work is really serving your bigger purpose, then this episode is for you. Alright, grab a cup of tea and find a cozy spot, and let’s get into it.
Introduction: The Entrepreneurial Journey
First, picture this: building a business is like embarking on a road trip with no set destination. Before you even hit the road, you’ve got to map out your route, decide what essentials to pack, and make sure your car is ready for the journey. But once you’re driving, you’ll hit forks in the road, unexpected detours, and maybe even some scenic overlooks that make you stop and rethink where you’re headed.
That’s how it is with business. At the beginning, it’s about gathering all your ideas, deciding who you want to serve, and getting really clear on what kind of business you’re building. But as you go, you have to keep making sure that every step you’re taking is still in line with your bigger picture. Because if you’re like most of us, it’s easy to get so focused on the day-to-day that you lose sight of why you’re doing it all in the first place. This can be where we waste a lot of time blindly going down roads that are leading us no where.
So here’s the big question we’re tackling today: How do we make sure our business is moving us toward the life we actually want to live?
In order to be able to answer that question you have to be really clear on where you want your journey to take you.
Setting Your Personal Goals First - Clarifying Goals: Where Do I Want to Go?
So if you think about it that way your personal goals have to come before your business goals. Why? Because business is personal. When you’re pouring so much of your time, energy, and heart into building something, it has to give back to you in ways that make sense for your life.
So, here’s what I want you to ask yourself: What kind of life am I trying to build? What do I need from my business to support that life? A lot of us start out saying we want independence, or to control our destiny, but let’s be real—those goals are often too vague to guide real action. When we dig deeper, most of us can identify goals that are far more specific. For some of us, it’s about having more time to spend with family. For others, it’s about expressing creativity or making an impact. Some of us might want a flexible lifestyle, or the thrill of rapid growth. Others may be drawn to the idea of building something lasting, something that reflects our deepest values. On the financial side, financial freedom, and some people want quick returns, others aim for steady cash flow, and a few are focused on building equity to eventually sell. Then, there are those who prioritize creating a sustainable legacy over immediate profits. And if you’re here listening to this podcast, I’m going to say you would want many of those, so you really have to drill down and become clear on what you truly want—personally and professionally it’s when we get intentional, we can shape a business that truly supports the life we want.
Alright, let’s get our vision front and center, to do that, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and dive into some actionable steps to start building that life-aligned business. Let’s start with the foundation...
Action Step One: Discover Your Purpose
…the heart of it all—your purpose. This is where we dig into the “why” behind everything you’re building. So, grab a journal, find a quiet spot, and give yourself some uninterrupted time. Ask yourself, “What truly lights me up? What makes me feel alive and brings me joy?” Write down anything that comes to mind, even the small stuff. Don’t hold back here; give yourself permission to be honest and thorough—it’s the insights here that set everything else in motion.
Your purpose isn’t just a nice idea—it’s the North Star guiding every decision and action you take in your business. When things get tough (and we all know they do), it’s your purpose that will keep you grounded and motivated. So let this be the foundation you return to over and over again. Take a deep breath, connect with what matters most, and let that become your guiding light in every step of your journey.
Action Step Two: Define Your Goals
From your purpose you can start to define your goals. Keep writing and put down your goals or re-read your currently goals and really look at the goals you’ve set so far. Are they in line with what truly lights you up? And let’s be specific here—are they clear, measurable, and achievable? This isn’t just about writing down “grow my business” or “make more money.” I’m talking about goals that move you closer to your purpose, the ones that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound—yes, I mean SMART goals!
If your goals feel a little too vague or all over the place, don’t stress! This is your chance to recalibrate. Set goals that make you feel excited and aligned with your bigger vision. Break it down into goals you can actually check off, and watch how motivating it is to hit those milestones that bring you closer to your purpose-driven life. Start small if this is new, and if you are seasoned review previous goals and their outcomes to analyze why and why not you achieved them.
Action Step Three: is to Honor Your Values
Your values? They’re the heartbeat of your business. Think of them as the foundation, the roots that keep everything steady and true. So take a moment to dig deep here. What do you genuinely care about, not just in business, but in life? Is it authenticity? Sustainability? Quality? People-first service? Whatever your core values are, let them be the guiding force that shows up in every corner of your business—from the products or services you offer to the way you connect with your customers.
And let’s not forget: integrity breeds success. When you’re clear on your values and you let them lead the way, people feel that authenticity and connect with it on a whole new level. So ask yourself, “How can I make sure these values are woven into everything I do?” When you’re aligned with your values, it’s like having a compass that keeps you on track, no matter what.
Action Step Four: Create an Action Plan
Time to make things happen! Once you know where you’re headed and what you value, let’s map out the journey. Break down your big goals into bite-sized, manageable tasks. Don’t just say, “I’m going to launch my course”; instead, list out every step you’ll need to make it happen, like setting a launch date, outlining modules, or building a landing page. And, don’t forget to put these tasks on a timeline so you can track your progress. When you see it all laid out, it feels so much more doable. I like to use a project management software because there are so many repeating tasks, but a document or pen and paper works just as well. Consistency is your best friend here. It’s all about those little steps forward each day. Hold yourself accountable, and don’t forget to celebrate every milestone—yes, every single one! Success isn’t just in the destination, but in all the progress you make along the way.
Action Step Five: Stay Flexible and Adapt
Let’s be real: this journey? It’s not a straight line. Entrepreneurship will throw curveballs, detours, and unexpected surprises, and that’s okay! Staying flexible and open is what makes you resilient. When things don’t go as planned, don’t get discouraged—think of it as a lesson that’s helping you grow. Be open to feedback, keep learning, and be willing to pivot when you need to.
Change is just part of the process, and often, it’s in those twists and turns where we learn the most. So embrace each new direction with curiosity, knowing that it’s all part of building a business (and a life) that’s aligned with who you are and what you want.
The Role of Discipline in Staying Aligned
Let’s talk about discipline for a second, because this is key to staying aligned with your goals. Discipline isn’t just about hustling or putting in long hours—it’s about staying focused on the things that matter most to you.
Picture this: you are a CEO who has built her entire routine around staying on track with her personal and business goals. She tracks her time, keeps her priorities straight, and she’s really intentional about saying “no” to anything that doesn’t move her forward. Every week, she looks at her calendar and asks herself, Does my time reflect my biggest priorities?
It’s a powerful reminder that Discipline isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what’s aligned.. So if you’re feeling pulled in a hundred different directions and can’t stay on track with one thing then take a step back and ask: Am I spending my time on things that move me closer to my ultimate vision?
The Importance of Trade-Offs and Strategic Focus
Here’s the next big truth bomb: when it comes to strategy, it’s as much about what you don’t do as what you do. Think about brands like Trader Joe or Athleta. They’ve built their entire business models around trade-offs that align with their core values. Trader Joe’s keeps prices low by offering a curated selection of unique, high-quality items in smaller stores without heavy marketing, which builds a loyal community. Athleta focuses on sustainable, high-quality activewear designed for performance and inclusivity, attracting customers who value both functionality and eco-friendly practices over fleeting trends.
As entrepreneurs, we have to make those same kinds of choices. There will always be shiny opportunities out there, but you can’t chase them all. So, get really clear on your priorities. What’s going to move the needle toward your dream life? Anything that doesn’t, let it go.
This may mean turning down certain growth opportunities that didn’t align with your ultimate vision. You have to decide that for your business, success looks like having more time freedom and flexibility, not just more clients or revenue. Once you get clear on this, it becomes easier to focus on what matters and say “no” to the rest.
Maintaining Both Vision and Execution
Here’s another key part of the journey: balancing vision and execution. Picture yourself as the chef of a busy restaurant—you’re crafting the menu and setting the culinary vision, but you’re also back in the kitchen, chopping ingredients and plating dishes to keep things moving. That’s what it’s like as an entrepreneur.
Sometimes it’s tempting to just dream about the business we want, but the reality is we have to show up every day and put in the work to make it happen. This is what I call “performance management for yourself.” Are you showing up, on time, consistently, and doing the things that truly matter?
To ensure that our everyday actions match our vision, one of the best tools we have is the calendar audit. Take a look at your time, a great way to make sure you’re staying aligned is to do a calendar audit. Look at where your time is going. Are your biggest goals front and center? If not, it’s time to make some adjustments. I went deeper into doing a time audit in episode 1 and how our calendars reflect our priorities in episode 3, so if you want to hear more, just listen to those episodes after this one. It is normal to feel that gap between what you want and what you’re currently doing. But that’s where discipline comes in. Keep focusing on those goals, and remember that each little action brings you closer to the big picture.
Building a Business Around Your Goals
So, let’s bring it all together. If there’s one thing I hope you take away from today, it’s this: don’t let your business take over your life. Build a business that serves your life. Here’s a quick recap:
Start by setting your personal goals., look at you purpose, values and create action plans. Always ask yourself What do you want your life to look like, and how can your business support that vision?
Embrace discipline, not just for productivity’s sake but to stay focused on what’s truly aligned.
Be intentional with your choices. Make strategic trade-offs, and be willing to let go of what doesn’t serve you or is taking up too much time for little or no reward. You can always come back to it when you need to.
By building a business that’s truly aligned with your personal goals, you’re setting yourself up for something more than just financial success. You’re creating a life you love, one that brings you joy and fulfillment every single day. So let your business serve you, not the other way around. If you’re ready to take these steps further and want hands-on guidance to align your life and business, my course is here to support you, our LIFE ALIGNED BLUEPRINT will be opening back up at the end of the year. Join our waitlist to be the first to be notified, I’ll put the link in the show notes and you’ll be ready to make 2025 your best year yet.
That’s it for today, friends! I hope you found real value in this episode and feel inspired to shape a business that fits yourlife, not the other way around. So, take action, get aligned, and remember to stay true to what lights you up. Until next time—keep focused, stay intentional, and always make time for living!