How often have you been so caught up in the minutia of your daily grind that you just could not see the forest for the trees? As a home business owner, it can be downright tough to see how what we do today (or what we did yesterday) will result in what we want down the road. It can be important, therefore, to learn how to train ourselves to see things long term; to learn how to think things through and see the logical and inevitable outcome in the distance.
Plotting things out, or thinking it through to the logical outcome may not be able to always prevent mishaps or problems, but I do believe it can help reduce those that are caused by short-sidedness. For example, imagine that a client has asked you for a reduced rate on a large project. You may really need the job right now and want to make the new client happy, but think it through–will the compensation being offered be enough to cover your expenses, labor, etc.? A cut in pay might be worth it if it will bring you plenty of public relations and exposure to other clients, but if you will just be working hard for low pay and no positive intrinsic benefits for your business, you might want to re-think the proposal.
Logic does need to be balanced with the ability to take risks in business, but thinking things through and trying to see the big picture can help you to take the calculated risks and not just the wild, desperate stabs in the dark. If it helps to write things out on paper or work up some tentative budgets, then do so–these tools can help you try to quantify the future possibilities. Try to take everything possible into account so that you CAN see the forest for all the trees that represent the immediate concerns.