You and your business, I mean.
If so, there’s a good chance your relationship has hit a rough spot here and there. It happens to everyone, sooner or later.
Remember how it was in the beginning, when you first starting dating?
You felt like a perfect match. You couldn’t believe you’d found each other after all this time. You could hardly sleep for the passion flowing through your veins, just dreaming of the magic you would create together!
It was pretty intoxicating stuff, wasn’t it?
But your relationship with your business, as with all relationships, is a living breathing thing that evolves over time.
And, as with all relationships, this one takes work too.
It’s rare that someone contacts me for a business they want to start from scratch Usually, they’ve been at it for a while – sometimes, for years. They’ve made some money, had great customers, and often, a reasonable degree of success.
But that success is hard won, and may be sporadic. The honeymoon is long over. The daily ups and downs are taking a toll, and they’re getting a little tired of it all, thank you very much.
They worry that they may be falling back out of love…and it’s tough.
What’s an entrepreneur to do? There’s no single answer to that, of course.
But I can tell you this: there are 3 key ingredients that must be present before you can even begin to repair this relationship.
Let’s take a look.
FEELING INSPIRED.
You started all this with a dream, didn’t you? A powerful dream that pulled you forward. Where is that these days? How healthy is it? Has it changed?
And if it has, does your business, as it is, fit your dream – now?
Our dreams and desires never stop changing. That’s what life is, after all: growing, evolving, becoming.
The key is making sure that your business evolves in a way that matches your personal growth – and the evolution of those dreams.
When I started my first business, years ago, my dream was to help others build their best lives through psychotherapy. Today that dream, although still present, has changed form considerably.
Today, I want you to build your best life through your business – because I know how powerful that is for you.
All I have to do is think about the changes I see happening in the lives of my clients – in the way they think and the way they feel about themselves – and I am inspired.
Does your business still inspire you?
HAVING a POSITIVE IMPACT.
This may not be true of every entrepreneur, but most of my clients care more about what they do, than what they get paid. (In fact, that’s often a bit of a problem!)
You like making money as much as anyone, sure, but that’s never really been what drives you.
Instead, many of you want to make a difference. You want to know that what you do matters – in your own life and that of your family, and in the lives of those you serve.
No matter what kind of business my clients are in – planning events, working within the legal system, running non-profits, serving through the healing arts – they all care deeply about their people.
They care about making a difference.
Does your business have an impact on the world in a positive way? Does it really fit who you are and what you’re about?
EARNING a GREAT INCOME.
It may be true that money isn’t a key motivator for you. (It never was for me either – which was a problem for a long time.)
But if you’re not making the kind of income you dream of, you won’t last.
As with any relationship, we need to feel cared for, and know that our value is recognized by our partner. Right?
In your business, one way your value is recognized is by getting paid what you’re worth.
You don’t need that to BE worthy.
Not at all.
But then, you don’t need someone sending flowers to show they love you, either.
It still feels good when they do.
Do you have all of these in your business? If not, what needs to happen to change that?
Photo Credit: Thomas Leuthard on Flickr