Getting clear about the foundation we are building upon is a must. Learn about my 4-step framework to make sure you have a solid base before taking the next step.

We have three old and beautiful apple trees in our garden and last season we had a lot of apples.

I baked a lot of apple cake – enough, that my hubby needed a break from our favorites ;-)

So, I searched and bookmarked new recipes.

And last weekend I just wanted to try something new…

So, I set out, choose a recipe and start.

Half way in I realize that we decimated the piece of butter I still had in the fridge for breakfast.

Not a big drama – get some from the freezer, just needs more time.

Next I realize that there needs to be whipped(!) cream in the cake batter – didn’t read that (actually never saw this in a recipe before)…

So, my “just use in case of having forgotten the real cream” cream wouldn’t cut the deal.

And this is the end of my cake inspiration baking Sunday.

Sad story, but my own fault.

What was my mistake?

I just stormed in, did not check if my foundation was ok, just thought I could wing it, because I’ve been baking cakes for nearly my whole life…

But there is always a first (whipped cream in the batter – please!!) and some things just can’t be replaced with what’s already there.

That’s why I’m sharing my “Cake Waterloo Sunday Framework” for the main steps to build a foundation.

1. Assess
   Honestly look at your situation and your resources, getting clear where you’re currently at.

This defines your starting point and this step alone will give you a good overview about what you need to do.

2. Define
   What is your end goal? It’s your destination in your SAT-NAV, the one, that you need to define and one that gets you excited.
   Without a goal you can’t reach it – this sounds obvious, but watch it from another perspectives. Some people think that if they don’t commit to a goal, they won’t feel bad, if they don’t achieve the goal. They also believe that they have more freedom, when they don’t set a goal.
   You will reach a destination without knowing where you want to go – but is it where you want to be? And how long will it take you to get there?

3. Plan
   Your plan connects your starting point with your goal, it lists all the things that need to happen and the milestones on your journey.

For all of you that feel boxed in just by the thought of it: plans can change, often they have to. As long as you still have your goal in sight, you can adjust your plan…

4. Prepare
   Before jumping into implementation make sure you got everything you need and a good support network. Building a business can get overwhelming and also lonely. Often entrepreneurs lack a network of other entrepreneurs, that share the experience of what it means to build a business.

P.S. After Cake Waterloo we ended up with apple crumble ;-)

Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash