Q: I've owned and operated my own remodeling company for more than 15 years, and while I've been lucky enough to be relatively successful, I'm bored. I wake up most mornings not looking forward to the day ahead. What can I do to turn my thinking around?

A: Chances are that when you first started your business you were full of excitement and passion. You were constantly looking for what's next, strategizing, and making the moves necessary to be successful. Once you achieved that success you became bored, which is not unusual for a business owner.

Whether it is time to replace yourself in your business or to simply get your head out of the trenches and back in touch with what lit you up when you started your company, the key to putting excitement back into your world is the same: You must look forward to and plan for what you want, instead of just allowing life and your business to happen.

  • Get clear about what you want and don't want, and write a plan accordingly.
  • Replace yourself in the areas you are ready to move on from.
  • Teach what you know. The only way you will be successful in replacing yourself and moving on to what's next is to be the question and not the answer. Stop doing all the thinking for your team, and teach, teach, teach.
  • Be the leader that you have chosen to be, and fun, excitement, and passion will find you. Guaranteed. —Clay Nelson is a business coach to contractors nationwide, www.claynelsonlifebalance.com.
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