Like many other entrepreneurs, I belong to a “mastermind” – a small group of small-business-launchers who support each other. While I’ve never met any of the other three women in my mastermind in person (we live in three different countries!), we’ve become great friends and we chat a lot in our little Facebook group. We help each other solve our problems, hold each other accountable for our commitments, and laugh a lot along the way.
One of them asked if we’d done a vision board recently – a deep dive, looking out 10-20 years. What do you want your life to look like? Where do you want to live? How much time until you want to stop working? What income model will get you there? And then think how to match the income model with a business that will get you there.
(Can you tell that what she teaches is financial planning?)
I have to admit that I was a bit taken aback. Mostly because I hadn’t thought anywhere near that far in advance when I got started down this teaching path.
I thought about it for awhile, then wrote:
The vision board is a really interesting and really good idea! I didn’t think that far ahead at all – I just thought, “What could I do that might make enough to pay the bills, that doesn’t involve working in high tech or some other job I would hate?” and teaching weaving online was the only thing that came up.
However, I’m happy with my choice, because frankly I love teaching this stuff – so much that I don’t really see retiring, because I’d do this for free! (Maybe not as much, but yes, I would teach for the fun of it. I love connecting to students, and seeing understanding light up in their eyes!)
But yes, I should do a visioning board…
Speaking of teaching, I’m now six weeks into teaching my Color Courage for Weavers Workshop course. This is the twelve-week, instructor-led online workshop course I was selling in December. It’s been a grueling pace for me – I started with a solid course outline, but have made some major revisions, and added a LOT more material, in the process of teaching the course.
I’ve been delighted with my students – they’ve been thirstily soaking up everything I’ve been showing them. And so far, they seem to be delighted with the course. Many of them have said that this was exactly the course they had been searching for but not been able to find, and that they feel they finally “get” color now!
Which is, of course, exactly why I created the course, and why I love teaching!
I have six more weeks of the course to go, but more importantly I have two more modules of the course to create. Each module is 3-7 lessons plus 3-4 student exercises – so between creating the lessons and returning feedback on the exercises, I’ve had very little time to do anything else! That’s one of the reasons there have been very few blog posts lately.
But in another four weeks, I will be done writing lessons…and then watch out world! I am dreaming of velvets again….
So about those visioning boards: I probably should do one, but I’m not sure I need to. This is my vision of the perfect life.
Almost as perfect as a cat’s life. Here’s Fritz, getting a belly rub.
I am not a fan of “vision boards” but do define some goals – 1 year, 5 year, 10 year – then revisit them annually. Also, think about scenarios other than the “happy path” – what to do if things don’t work out the way you expect. Hope for the best, plan for the worst.
I’m glad the color class is going so well. I am really color challenged – I think my eyes lack some rods and cones – but am interested in signing up in the future. Here’s to your continued success!