Get All Access for $5/mo

3 Key Strategies to Ground Yourself When You Start Questioning Your 'Why' Change is certain. But if your "why" changes, you can feel off balance. Here are three strategies to help you get grounded.

By Nancy Solari Edited by Kara McIntyre

Key Takeaways

  • Regularly redefine your vision of success to ensure it aligns with your core values and life changes.
  • Network with diverse individuals who can challenge your business approach and offer transformative insights.
  • Adopt a "nothing is sacred" mindset to remain open to necessary changes and avoid clinging to outdated methods.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Living with regret is one of the greatest fears we all share. Even those who seem to have a careless way of navigating life are no doubt compensating for a fear of living in conformity. But what do you do when the way you approach business — or even your identity as a business leader — shifts so much that you lose your equilibrium?

Here are three strategies to help you keep your balance even if the core of your motivation — your "why" — changes.

Redefine your vision of success

Socrates is quoted as saying, "The unexamined life is not worth living." It's important to reevaluate your core values on a regular basis and make sure they line up with the goals you are diligently pursuing. You get to define what success looks like, so make sure you aren't following someone else's blueprint. I knew from my early years that I would not be happy crunching numbers in a cubicle or writing lengthy articles in a coffee shop. My happy place is helping people, and my job in broadcast media allows me to do that regularly.

Knowing your personality and your preferences is only half the battle, though. When life happens, you may need to alter your original vision. Having a family, for example, may mean taming the thrill-seeker or the trophy hound in you. Navigating a disability may impose limitations, but you may also need to get out of your comfort zone, overcome your fears and take the stage.

It's important to recognize when your model for success isn't working and adjust. I've learned that every business is a process, and the road to success is not always a straight line. Along the way, my team and I have found the rhythm, whether filming a television show or preparing for a keynote speech. Be willing to adjust as your experiences inform you.

Related: Why You Are So Resistant to Change — And How to Overcome It

Network with people who challenge you

Just as you don't have to build Rome in a day, you also don't have to build it yourself. Once your business is up and running, make it a habit to connect with a variety of people who can help you analyze what is working and what is not working for your company. Although you certainly can't take everyone's advice, be willing to listen to what they have to say. You may discover a key to a problem in a single conversation.

One of my biggest dreams was to become a corporate keynote speaker. I worked really hard reading everything I could on how to captivate an audience, how to build a following and so on. A media coach told me, "Nancy, you can't have it both ways," meaning that my business wasn't keynote speeches; my business was me. My uniqueness was my journey through life and business navigating vision loss. It's vital that you know what makes you stand out, but you should be ready to seize that bit of magic dust — or good advice — that will take a good idea and manifest it into a great career.

One way of encountering transformative ideas is to get out of your comfort zone and network with people who are not in your field. Tech gurus sharing their insight with creatives; management checking in with the employees on the front lines; marketing working with accounting to devise a program to track expenses — a single key concept can revolutionize the way we think about a business plan. If you're launching a new initiative, don't be afraid to run it by friends or find mentors who could help you avoid costly delays or confusion.

Related: Why Discovering Your 'Why' Is the No. 1 Business Move

Have a "nothing is sacred" attitude

We've all worked for bosses who couldn't give up tradition for more effective ways of doing business. If we're not careful, we can hold onto "sacred cows," or particular methods of doing business rather than staying open to change.

This stubborn need for stasis can be reflected in the goals you set when you started your business. Your original dream may have been to open the biggest drive-in-only restaurant chain when you first started. But in the age of online order and delivery services, you might have to pivot.

I was a real estate agent in Los Angeles when my vision began to rapidly deteriorate. This revolutionary change meant I could no longer drive. It also meant that on the day of an open house, I had to take multiple buses across town and arrive several hours early to memorize the layout of the place. Soon, I had to admit to my clients that not only was I unable to drive, but I also might need their help navigating sunken living rooms or rough terrain.

Related: Bouncing Back After Tragedy Isn't Impossible — Three Ways I Found Meaning Again as a Legally Blind CEO.

Eventually, I had to come clean and share my disability with my clients. To my surprise, they volunteered to drive us around the neighborhood or help me gather yard signs. Your willingness to become vulnerable will inspire others to help you; it will also free people to share their own struggles. When people in business connect at this level, it is often a most productive environment because every staff member and every client feels they are being heard.

As in life, your perspective in business will shift many times, and it is important to sense the new season. When the winds change direction, you may have to find your "why" all over again. This kind of self-evaluation is an opportunity to think about where you started, how far you have come and whether your original destination is still a place you want to go.

Nancy Solari

Entrepreneur Leadership Network® Contributor

CEO of Living Full Out

Nancy Solari is an accomplished CEO, TV and radio host, business and life coach, writer and motivational speaker. As host of Nonprofit MVP and the national Living Full Out Radio Show, she shares her tools for success with audiences and organizations all around the country.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Leadership

Visionaries or Vague Promises? Why Companies Fail Without Leaders Who See Beyond the Bottom Line

Visionary leaders turn bold ideas into lasting impact by building resilience, clarity and future-ready teams.

Marketing

5 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Giving a Presentation

Are you tired of enduring dull presentations? Over the years, I have compiled a list of common presentation mistakes and how to avoid them. Here are my top five tips.

Science & Technology

5 Automation Strategies Every Small Business Should Follow

It's time we make IT automation work for us: streamline processes, boost efficiency and drive growth with the right tools and strategy.

Business News

Former Steve Jobs Intern Says This Is How He Would Have Approached AI

The former intern is now the CEO of AI and data company DataStax.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Green Entrepreneur®

How Global Business Leaders Can Build a Sustainable Supply Chain

Businesses can build sustainable supply chains by leveraging technology to reduce environmental impact, optimize resources and track emissions while balancing operational efficiency and sustainability goals.