Explore Your History to Move Your Dream Forward

Map GuyHow did your get you where you are right now? What led to this moment in your career?

Getting clear on your history can help you better map out your future.

I’ve found that a lot of folks, who are struggling with mapping out a story for their new home-based business, can get a handle on it by looking at their history.

Your Biography — Sort Of

A mini biography of the work you’ve done and projects you’ve been involved with can help you to see why you’re here. Taking a look at what brought you to where you are is a great way to see:

  • Where your skills have been best used
  • What type of work and tasks you like best
  • What your new business will focus on
  • Where you might need to get some help
  • What you need to learn and practice more

Writing out your history is a good exercise for really understanding your work life. It’s amazing how few of us grasp what path and choices have brought us to the current point in our careers.

I’ve found that by looking at my past work, and relating it to a new venture, I better understand why I’m pursuing it. There are always clear indications of times and turning points that lead to the work you’re doing now.

Starting with that, gives a “back-story” to your new venture. The plans you make going forward will be influenced by past actions. Knowing what those are in advance will help make them a useful tool for outlining your business story.

The past may not equal the future, but it is the road that brought you here.

Don’t be afraid to explore it.

7 comments

  1. Tony,

    Memory and History is a place I love visit. I just got done with Hardcore Zen and I loved it – BTW – It’s strange how important the past is, but how it’s just gone… poof. Like these keystrokes… never to be typed again…

  2. You are right about that. We should spend some time to look back at our accomplishments which is responsible to where we are right now. It can be a good motivation for our work.

  3. Steve – That’s true. You can’t live in the past, it doesn’t exist, but it does influence who you are. I had a feeling you’d like Hardcore Zen. It’s one of the best books on what Zen “really” is.

    Pamela – Great point. Too many people look to their pasts as a way of blaming. Using it as motivation is much more effective.

  4. Great post, Tony.

    We can look back at the things we did in the past and ask, “Why did I do that, or do it that way?” Taking the easy way or the hard way, learning this, avoiding that–all those are clues to uncover hidden motivations, motivations that we may not be aware of but that may be holding us back. When we know of them, we can change them.

  5. Great post. I agree with the thought of recalling and listing the work and projects we’ve done. I believe that it will provide us with some information to give improve our life.

  6. Steve – You nailed it with “clues to uncover hidden motivations.” Archaeologists look for clues about civilizations to learn from the past. We can do the same by looking at our own pasts as objectively as possible.

    Dave – You’re right… The best way to determine how you got to where you are, is by taking a look at what brought you here.

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