What keeps you awake at night?

Quick Insight

Identifying what keeps you up and gets you up is one step to understand what drives you. The second step is to ask why these things are so powerful. Digging under what triggers you helps you tap into the power of that trigger and diffuse it if needed.


“Leaders... don’t just ask, ‘What keeps me up at night?’ They also ask, ‘What gets me up in the morning?’” Joey Reiman in The Story of Purpose

What keeps you up at night and what gets you up in the morning may be caused by the same thing. Both are sources of insight.

Identifying what keeps you up and gets you up is just the first step. The second step is to ask why these things are so powerful. What is the outcome you dread or desire? Why is that so powerful to you?

My strategic planning course participants do an exercise that asks two questions:
1. Think about times when you have been angry or guilty. Guilt arises when you violate your values, and anger occurs when someone else violates your values. What triggered those emotions? What values or beliefs were violated?
2. Think about times when you have been the most grateful, proud, or satisfied. What triggered those emotions? What values or beliefs were honored or met?

Digging under what triggers you helps you tap into the power of that trigger and diffuse it if needed. You tap into the motivation needed by small business owners. You avoid the things that suck the energy out of you and your business.

I wish you more of what gets you up in the morning and less of what keeps you up at night. I wish you well.

- Rob Stephens


Further Insight


CFO Perspective Resources

  • Free Download:  Aspirations and Purpose Worksheet - The Aspirations and Purpose worksheet helps you clarify your personal aspirations and business purpose to set the direction for your company.
  • Free Download: One Page Strategic Plan Worksheet - This simple PDF template allows you to quickly define in one page the key items for a strategic plan.
  • Course: ACE - Strategic Planning for Small Businesses - Small business strategic planning should quickly lead you from defining where you are going to deciding how to get there. Getting there takes a well-built strategy and implementation plan. Get planning and management tools with the basics of how to use them.

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