When you think of your business as a whole versus day to day operations, what is your vision? Are you proactive or reactive? Do you create and follow a well analyzed plan, or are you adding systems on here and there, ultimately building a maze?

In my next book, Fix This Next, this is one of the topics I discuss and I use The Winchester Mystery House as an analogy. The Winchester House was built by Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester fortune. In it’s early phase, it began as a farmhouse but quickly morphed and grew out of control with no real plan or vision. Why? Winchester believed there were demons haunting her from her husband’s business dealings and was compelled to appease them at any cost. She thought the more she added on, the more satisfied the demons would be and the better opportunity for her to escape. The mansion is known for its curved hallways and staircases leading nowhere. Errors were built over or around. Each day was a work around a new problem that arose – a trap most of us have landed in at one time or another.

Now imagine this house isn’t a house, but a business. Not a solid representation of profitability and long term success, is it? You can clearly see the parallel between the Winchester House and an entrepreneur’s journey gone awry.

Ask yourself, what are the choices you are making and how will your business look as a result?