A strong vision leads to success

By Victoria Cook

While networking I recently met a really sharp woman, Traci Ellis. She's a bit of an unorthodox attorney working virtually. I was really intrigued by this and fascinated by her story. You see, when she first began practicing law, she got a position with a great law firm. She was putting in the hours and working her way up that proverbial corporate ladder...and she was miserable!  She naturally concluded that working in corporate wasn't for her and she was going to start her own firm.

So she did! She got her own space, started her own practice and successfully ran it for several years when she realized...she was miserable.  She wasn't doing the kind of work she desired, working the kind of hours she wanted (did I mention she's also a mother?), or serving the type of clients she was passionate about.  Traci told me she had an "Ah ha" moment when she realized all she had done when setting up her business was duplicate her corporate job and added on the responsibilities of business ownership and all the overhead. She hadn't created a VISION for what she wanted in her own practice.

After taking some time to contemplate what she really liked about her work and what she really wanted from her business, she got rid of her office, honed in on her niche of working with women business owners and became a virtual attorney working from her home office. I'm happy to share that she works with amazing clients across the country doing work she enjoys and loves business ownership.  She's truly happy and fulfilled. 

That's great for her, but what does this have to do with you? If you're feeling a bit unfulfilled professionally, when's the last time YOU took some time to envision what it is you'd REALLY like? All too often I hear similar stories from business owners who thought entrepreneurship would be the answer to their unhappiness only to find it isn't quite what they thought it would be.  From some of the corporate client's with whom I've worked, I've seen instances where clients sort of fell into a role or career path because it was something they excelled in or paid well but for which they didn't have a high amount of passion. I hope that won't be your story!

Your Guilt-Free Challenge: 

If you are you tired of going through the motions and feeling like you have no set direction or if you feel like something is missing but you aren't quite sure what and don't want to live with any regrets, then you'll want a copy of my  Priorities, Purpose & Vision 54-page life-changing guidebook.   It is great for helping:

• Give yourself permission to succeed
• Uncover your distinctive impact on the world around you
• Articulate your unique purpose
• Uncover the key values that make your life fulfilling
• Explore what's really important to you
• See a bigger vision for your future
• Visualize your goals

You can get the digital download and start today!