Achieve success AND fulfillment by aligning your business with life goals

The modern business world is more competitive and fast-paced than ever. Artificial intelligence and changing technology are rapidly reshaping the workplace while evolving global markets are increasing competition. In this environment, many companies are looking for and finding new ways to innovate and get ahead.

“Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure.”

The good news is that there is a solution: work-life integration. It is possible to build a business and a life where you experience deep fulfillment and massive business success. Everyone is looking for work-life balance, but that’s just not a reality for driven achievers..

What you want is for work to feel so meaningful and purpose-driven that it aligns with all the other aspects of your life. That doesn’t mean that you don’t make time for your family, hobbies or other meaningful pursuits, but you bring these aspects of your life together so that they support one another. An avid golfer might organize networking activities centered around golf games. A dad who works in advertising might hold family elections where his kids rate his ads and help him pick the best one for his new campaign.

At its heart, business is a spiritual game. Not in a woo-woo kind of way, but in the sense that what we do every day has to connect with what makes us human—our desire to engage and make a difference in the world. When that is the case, work will be a place you want your family to be a part of; it won’t be something you have to escape.

“When business and contribution are interwoven, we feel whole.”

Aligning your business with a greater purpose isn’t just feel-good mumbo jumbo. It’s the x-factor that will separate your business from the competition. It will increase engagement and productivity in your employees and create a raving fan culture internally and among your customers.

The key to living is giving

If your sole purpose in going to work every day is to make a profit, you might find business success, but you’ll miss out on life’s greater joy and a deeper purpose. Take some time to figure out what you really want out of life. Is it just to make money, or is money a means to another end—time with your family, the ability to make meaningful contributions, financial freedom, positive influence or a lasting legacy? Aligning your business with your ultimate life goals will give you clarity and purpose.

Leading a business isn’t just about spreadsheets and profit margins. After all, 80 percent of business success is psychology, and only 20 percent is mechanics. Nothing will jump-start positive emotions and increase drive and connection like giving to something greater than yourself.

Giving involves making regular charitable contributions. But more often, it looks like building a meaningful company culture where employees feel needed and engaged. It can mean creating a company that is connected to a bigger vision and making a positive impact on the world. Giving is about understanding the needs of your clients better than they do and doing more for them than anybody else.

What business are you really in?

If you want increased fulfillment in your business, you have to find its purpose. The best way to do that is to ask yourself, “What business am I really in?” This will help you focus on your core identity and purpose.

When Steve Jobs stepped back into leadership with Apple in 1997, the company was in crisis and near bankruptcy. Reportedly, he gathered all the executives and asked them, “What business are we in?” They responded with the traditional answers—computers and technology. Then he asked again, “What business are we really in?” He wanted them to rethink Apple’s identity and greater vision.

Over the following months and years, Apple redefined itself as a company that didn’t just make computers but connected people to their passions in a user-friendly and beautifully designed way. This led Apple to invest in music and phones, transforming them into the wildly successful company they are today.

Having a compelling vision for your company and linking that to a greater purpose will drive innovation and allow you to connect with your customers on a deeper level. Here are some other examples of companies that understand what business they are really in.

• Google - “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful."
• Starbucks - "To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time."
• Airbnb - "To create a world where anyone can belong anywhere."
• Patagonia - "We're in business to save our home planet."

More than just a business

When you align your business with your life goals, you have the chance to create more than just a company. You have the opportunity to positively impact the world by creating experiences, moments and connections that really matter. When your whole company is united behind a common vision, it drives peak performance at every level. This is the intangible factor that separates ordinary organizations from the truly great ones.

Implementing your vision with a MAP

Traditionally, businesses have used five- or ten-year plans to influence their decisions and guide their growth. However, business plans are rigid and can’t adapt to rapidly changing market conditions. A Massive Action Plan, or a MAP, is a flexible guide to get you from where you are now to where you want to be. It keeps you laser-focused on your vision and purpose while allowing you the room to make adjustments based on your own company and competitors.

Asking the right questions is the backbone of a successful business MAP. Ask these questions to get started on charting your path toward success and fulfillment:

• What do I really want?

This question identifies exactly where you want to go. What outcome do you want to see? The more specific you are, the more helpful this question will be.

Are you looking for financial freedom? Then you might say, “I want to make $X a month in passive income so that I can spend more time with my family.”

Do you want to increase your impact? You might say something like, “I want my business to add X number of new jobs to create meaningful opportunities for people in my community.”

Someone focused on changing their lifestyle might say, “I want a business that allows me to work anywhere in the world while maintaining financial stability.”

• Why do I want this?

Even more important than the what is your why. Having a compelling reason behind your goals is what keeps you going when things get tough. Your “why” is the reason that gets you excited to go to work each morning and be willing to stay late to achieve your goals. Having a deeper purpose is what turns shoulds into musts.

Your why might be building generational wealth for your kids, adding jobs and value to your community, inspiring others to be their best selves, revolutionizing an industry or empowering another generation of leaders. You might be driven to create meaningful customer experiences, bring people together or create a product that improves lives.

This purpose will be the heart of your business MAP and the driving force behind your company.

• Who is my core client?

If you want to add incredible value, you have to know your ideal client. A client is more than just a customer. A customer is anyone who buys from you or uses your services. They may not fully align with your vision and are harder to convert into repeat buyers. An ideal client deeply values what you offer and keeps coming back. They are less expensive to acquire and retain because they have deep emotional connections to your brand and your purpose.

You need to understand these clients even better than they understand themselves. Learn what they value, how they think and anticipate what they need. You have to love your clients even more than you love your products. This is how you will create raving fans.

“If you want to be successful, find a way to do more for others than anyone else does. Become more valuable. Do more. Give more. Be more. Serve more.”

• What specific actions do I need to take to achieve my vision?

This question gets into the mechanics of running a business but always with your goal and purpose in mind. Here is where you will get specific about pricing, fulfillment, branding and customer service. You’ll need to ask yourself this question over and over again as you grow and adjust your MAP.

An entrepreneur business coach can be a valuable resource in crafting a business MAP, from helping you articulate your vision to providing proven business growth and success strategies.

Professional coaching to accelerate success

Working with a professional executive coach is an investment in your long-term success. Successful professionals in every industry rely on coaches to level up their game. Athletes, musicians, politicians, and executives all know the value of coaching.

A business coach will work with you to create a foundation for your company’s growth by identifying your values and goals. A coach will help you uncover a greater purpose behind your business and articulate that purpose into a vision and mission statement to unite your team.

A coach will help you build a MAP by asking the right questions. They will provide practical and proven strategies for starting and growing a business and keep you accountable as you take action and move toward your goals, creating a life of purpose and fulfillment.