Let's Go To Business Hell (A Weirdly Insightful Journal Exercise)

As an entrepreneur, knowing exactly what you want is extremely helpful. Knowing exactly what you DON'T want; now that's a new and fabulous level of clarity. To that end… let’s do a fun exercise. I call it "goal-setting in reverse"; you’re going to identify what your goals ARE DEFINITELY NOT. 

An alternative name for this exercise could be “Let’s go to business hell”.

It's possible you've got a head start and are already there.

Here's the concept: Once you know what a shitty, hellish nightmare of a business looks like to you and what you’re unwittingly doing to create that…

Well, I just reckon that information might somehow be useful. So, let’s shine a light on the shadows.

Alright, ready to do some journaling?

Go get a pen and some paper and let’s get started.

Yes, actually grab a pen and paper.

Trust me; documenting your answers will make this so much more potent and insightful.

Ok, let's go to The Bad Place:

1.) What does a nightmare, shitty business look like to you?

2.) What happens daily in the shittiest version of your business?

3.) What does a nightmare, terrible customer or client tend to do?

4.) What do they refuse to do?

5.) In the nightmare, “worst-case scenario” version of your business you’re doing a lot of things you probably shouldn’t be doing at all, because they aren't in your zone of joy/zone of genius. What are they?

And then complete these sentences…

6.) “I may end up creating a hellish nightmare of a business by continuing these habits and thought patterns…”

7.) “I may end up creating a hellish nightmare of a business by refusing to…”

8.) “In business Niflheim (in Norse mythology, Niflheim is the cold, dark, misty world of the dead, ruled by the goddess Hel) I’m forced to ____ all day instead of doing what I truly enjoy.”

9.) Now, think of some of your worst, most shitty, and stressful days as an entrepreneur. What happened?

10.) How are you going to prevent that from happening again in the future?

In closing, your business either feels like poetry or prison right now. The fact is, whichever one it is, you built it that way. 

And that’s totally OK, you can always rebuild it!

Think of your business as a piece of soft clay that you can mold any way you desire.

BIG FAT TAKEAWAY: Knowing what you DO NOT WANT is just as important as having clarity on what you do want. Getting clear on what your business fears and "worst case scenarios" are can help you avoid them.

BONUS: Here's a question to consider: "How am I subconsciously creating the conditions I say I don't want?"