Ever wonder how to find your ‘big idea’ for biz and really get into your ‘element’?
You watch all these fresh new entrepreneurs, popping out like daisies, and you ask yourself “what IS their secret?”
Successful business moguls usually talk about the hard work they’ve put in, and some even talk of luck, and being ‘in the right place, at the right time’.
(Smart) Hard work, consistently, is par for the course. And timing may play a part in how quickly they reach their goals.
BUT.
The real secret sauce to succeeding as an entrepreneur, the stuff no one talks about… is your ELEMENT.
Sure, we talk about market research and finding your ideal client… but before you even go there, your success depends on you finding your element.
What’s that?!?
Everyone alive has a sweet spot where skill and passion intersect into a unique cocktail recipe for your success.
Your element is the place in which you thrive naturally; it’s where you lose track of space and time, where you’re “in the zone” if you will. It’s more than a hobby, more than a passion, because you can’t outgrow it. Your element is truly yours.
How do you find your element?
You start with a simple exercise. Take an ol’ fashioned piece of paper and draw 2 columns. Write your skills on one side, and your passions (and serious, persistent interests) in the other (yes, with a pen!). Write EVERYTHING that comes to mind and feels true. Then compare the columns. Do any of these jive? Could any of these combos work together, either in a traditional or a creative way?
For example, could your skill for teaching and your passion for hydroponics become an online course for urban gardeners or agricultural students? Could your skill for crunching numbers and your passion for cooking lead to a consulting service for new or struggling restauranteurs? Perhaps you have a knack for styling people and you are so passionate about women’s self-esteem that you offer custom wardrobes to overweight or post-partum women.
You get the idea.
Now list your heroes (living, fictional, deceased). What do they have in common? How are you like them?
What did you want to be when you were a kid? What did you want to be when you were a teenager, and then in college? Do you remember why? See if any of these dreams had any common thread.
You’ll start to notice trends.
It seems simple, but there’s no set number of elements in the universe… and you may have several, but you have at least one. So be patient with yourself, and look at these exercises with excitement, as you discover your secret code, your success recipe.
What do you think your element is?
