Starting a business is exciting and ambiguous – and that’s the fun. It’s a time of possibility, experimentation, imagination, and showing the world what you can do. But, it can also feel slow, frustrating, and full of traps and distractions, leaving potential entrepreneurs to question their self-worth and to wonder why they started in the first place. As a small business coach, I’ll help you cultivate an entrepreneur’s mindset, so you can start and grow your businesses with confidence and step boldly into the role of business owner. Subscribe to get access to weekly tips, small business interviews, and more.
🔄 Are you Ready to Adapt (Again)?
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This week: a brief follow up on goals. In January, like many of you, I set goals for myself. I’ve been able to chip away at many of them. But, some goals… not so much. For one of my goals, the context changed. I had carefully named a set of assumptions and constraints that I believed would hold for the year. Nope – not the case. 😵💫 That goal needed to be adjusted. Another goal, I just haven't had time for. There are only so many hours in the day. And, I definitely said to someone in a meeting the other day that leadership is about making choices, not doing more – so I better take my own advice. 😵 This goal needed to be set aside. Not forever, just for now. In the January Reset, I believe I mentioned that clarity would come with action, right? This is part of it. You act, something reacts, and you learn more about what’s needed next. Your life is dynamic – it changes all the time. The world around you is changing – and it’s been changing a lot lately. So, you acted, the world or the context shifted, and now you have a choice to make: You could spend your energy fighting against it. You could pine for what was. You could complain and be bitter about having to change your plans. But, consider for a moment, the impact these choices would have on the quality of your thinking – on your ability to be creative, to solve problems, to practice courage. Will it give you what you need to continue building momentum? Or will it lead to the opposite – to tunnel vision, leaving you blocked, drained, and unable to see a way forward? Everything you do in life requires prioritization and flexibility – and letting go. Did I enjoy having to set one of my goals aside? No, absolutely not. I was very excited about it. Pour one out for Project Constellation (someday, friend, someday). But if I tried to push and squeeze it into my week, would I have given it its due? Would it have been my best work? No, probably not. Be ready to adapt – to setbacks, to change, to the unexpected. And, be willing to let go of what was and deal with things as they are. ⭐ ICYMI: I’m developing a coaching framework and self-assessment designed to help people navigate ambiguity so they can create clarity, discipline, and momentum toward their goals. But, I need your help to test these ideas... 📫 If this sparked an idea, or if you’re feeling stuck, I’d love to hear from you. You can reply directly to this email to share what you’re working on, ask a question, or suggest topics you’d like me to cover in future newsletters. I read every response. Until next time, Michael
Michael Schefman | 321 Liftoff Copyright © 2026 by 321 Liftoff LLC |
Michel Schefman, 321 Liftoff
Starting a business is exciting and ambiguous – and that’s the fun. It’s a time of possibility, experimentation, imagination, and showing the world what you can do. But, it can also feel slow, frustrating, and full of traps and distractions, leaving potential entrepreneurs to question their self-worth and to wonder why they started in the first place. As a small business coach, I’ll help you cultivate an entrepreneur’s mindset, so you can start and grow your businesses with confidence and step boldly into the role of business owner. Subscribe to get access to weekly tips, small business interviews, and more.
Heads up! I’ll be taking a break from the weekly newsletter this summer, giving myself time to recharge and focus on a few projects I’m excited to share with you this fall. We spend so much of the year in motion: planning, building, solving, logistics, taking action. Intentional pauses create space to think big and explore something new (or rethink something old). It’s a chance to wipe the windshield clean and see things with a fresh perspective. And I’m really looking forward to it. 🤓 How...
I’ve written about a wide range of topics over the years and I want to know what you’ve found most valuable. Three quick questions: #1: When you think about the 321 LIftoff newsletters that stuck with you, what was the underlying theme? Building and growing a business (strategy, storytelling, money management, etc.) A mindset of adaptability, resilience, patience, etc. Personal development, like how to set and pursue goals Leadership – of your life, at work, in business, etc. #2: What helps...
I was walking home after dropping off my kids at school. I was moving quickly to try and get a few extra things done before my meetings started for the day. Mentally, I was already in work mode, stepping with authority in a kind of march toward my home office. Suddenly, I woke up from my trance. A little green hummingbird flew right in my path, just a few feet from my face. I could see it's tiny pink and purple feathers around it's neck It hovered there for what felt like a long time, just...