Most people in freelance writing measure business growth on one line:
$0 <———> $100,000
Once you max out that line, you measure a new one:
$100,000 <———>$500,000
But I’ve come to find there are so, so many more lines that matter.
Because how you grow your business matters. Getting to that $100,000 mark does not suddenly make your life palatable, or your day-to-day enjoyable.
In fact… sometimes you do things you don’t enjoy to get to that number, like take calls at all hours or agree to short deadlines you know will be uncomfortable.
Here are a few other ways I try to measure my business growth:
No meetings <———> Endless meetings
Energy-giving <———>Energy taking
Working with like-minded people <———> Working with people I wouldn’t hang out with in real life
Not a lot of arguing or pushback <———> Lots of arguing and pushback
Writing on topics I’m curious about <———> Writing topics that don’t excite me
Delivering a high-quality product <———> Being responsible for the end result, like traffic or leads
And on and on…
If you’ve been measuring your business growth just with financial figures, take a minute to think of some other metrics that will make it emotionally profitable, not just financially profitable.
That way, growing your business will not just grow your bank account — it will also grow your free time, joy, positive feelings, curiosity, and more.