I'm learning, in my mid-50's, that everything is a process.
I knew that intellectually all of my life, but NOW I am really getting it! Since beginning my business, Angela's Artistic Bouquets, I have had to face the reality of process. It hasn't been easy for me. I am an impatient person. Like many people, I want to see results now!
We frequently hear, "Practice makes perfect!" So we KNOW that is true. However, in the space between that statement and someone performing in concert, lies the process.
Losing weight is a process. We can only do this one pound at a time.
Learning a new skill is a step by step process. We cannot be a concert
pianist without first seeing the music, breaking it down measure by
measure and practicing it.
You start out with your goal or dream, stuttering, staggering, pushing, hoping, trying. Your guitar playing doesn't sound too good. Your art doesn't look too good. Perhaps your flowers droop and you wonder how to make them stand up.
My art professor said, "What does this work of art need?" Art, in all of its forms, is a process.
The process is different for each of us. If you're spatial, like me, you'll start at the top seeing the big picture and need to work your way backwards to know where and how to begin, to fill in the details.
If you're detail-oriented, you may see only what's in front of you and not get the bigger picture, the goals, the final product.
In business, you need both - you need to imagine the bigger picture. For me, that means staying focused on building my business. But how do I do that? Day by day, building my fan base, my network, link to brides, event planners, sharing photos of my bouquets.
And each time I create a bouquet, particularly a new, custom made design that I haven't created before, it is a process. I must patiently build the bouquet one idea at a time, sometimes letting it rest while I germinate and returning to it for the next step.
Even creating a bouquet I've done dozens of times is a process. It cannot be accomplished if I skip a step!
Not every process in life reveals itself immediately. Sometimes we don't see the results for a long time. Building a business is like that.
So my lessons are: Don't expect immediate results, be patient with myself and learn to LOVE the process!
Angela DiCicco
Angela's Artistic Bouquets
Labels: building a business, cottage industry, event planning, home based business, learning process, process, starting a business
