I spent the first 10 years as an entrepreneur looking for a map with a trail I could follow. But I eventually realized that I didn’t need a map. I needed a compass.

The instinct is to look for someone to tell us how to run our business. Show me where to go. Tell me how to do this.

Running a business can be overwhelming so if someone can tell us how to do it better, faster or cheaper we want to know. 

The issue I ran into was that I was looking for the one clear path to make this thing successful. 

What I’ve come to learn is that there is no one way to do it. There is no map with a trail on it that we can follow. 

The beautiful thing about running a business is that you can make your own way. You can take the route that suits you and still get to where you want to go.

We need a compass.

A map without a compass is better than no map at all. But the compass helps us make sense of where we are and where we want to go.

In the context of business, a compass is:Core values

Clear objectives

Definition of success

Maps are useful for helping us navigate and plan. They give us a general understanding of the landscape and what to expect. 

But reality is different than a map. Once we’re in the landscape we realize that the river we thought could be crossable or the mountain pass climbable is not an option.

We can learn from the available maps - business models, frameworks or someone else’s experiences. But that’s most likely not the territory we will navigate in our business.

We’re better served by creating the compass we need to make our way. This means taking the time to determine our core values, creating clear objectives for ourselves and the business and defining what success will look like personally and for the business.

Getting clear on these three things will help us navigate whatever terrain we find ourselves in.