I’ve been thinking about how business is like a marriage; it’s a lifelong commitment that some people love and some people hate and feel trapped in. There are some dynamics of loving your business that it’s good to be reminded of that I’d like to cover today.

So how do you fall in love with your business all over again?

1. Know that it’s a lifelong commitment that you have to work at.
2. Accept being uncomfortable.
3. Always keep learning more, either through books or with a mentor.
4. Stop comparing your business to others.
5. Celebrate your victories, both large and small.

Lifelong commitment

In most cases, owning your business is a very long commitment, unless you call it quits and pull the plug. You have to remember that it’s a marathon not a sprint, and most people are not going to have instant success.

If you always have one eye on the exit, it is probably not going to work out. This applies to both your business AND your marriage. When the going gets rough, if you have divorce in the back of your mind, you’re probably going to back out, and the same applies to your business. If it’s always an option to quit your business, you probably will. Now, some people are just flat out burned out, with no passion or heart left, and they should throw in the towel. If they’re living in agony and not taking active steps to improve their business, they should walk away. But if you still have the heart to make your business work, you should double down on your commitment to your company.

Just like in a marriage, you have to figure out how to move past issues and make things better. Perfect situations don’t exist in real life. Nothing is ever perfect. But you’ll find a solution if it’s not an option for you to quit. So be fully committed to making your business work. Stop being stuck in limbo where you’re frustrated and can’t make progress but aren’t taking active steps.

Accept being uncomfortable

When we first start our businesses, we’re so excited and everyone tells us “Attagirl!” and how brave we are to start our own company. But after that initial adrenaline wears off, the day-to-day challenges start to wear us down and we start to get afraid. You begin to hate your business when you’re not winning every day after you take it to the next level and hire people to help you and clients are calling to complain instead of praise you. Your mindset shifts and you feel like a failure, and it’s hard to be in love with something you’re failing at.

You need to learn to accept being uncomfortable. If you’re getting comfortable, chances are that a crisis is looming around the corner. It’s nice and easy to coast along, but that’s a dangerous place to be. Accept being uncomfortable. Go ahead and interview people continually so you’re ready when people unexpectedly quit. Spend that extra money on marketing. If you’re comfortable, you’re probably going nowhere.

There’s generally a breakdown before a breakthrough. For example, let’s say you’ve done a bunch of marketing to get more customers in the door, and maybe one of your employees quits right when the new work is streaming in. Maybe you upset a few customers or employees with a new policy or you have to work long hours while tweaking something in the business; these are the uncomfortable things that you will have to do to break through to the next level. Then you’ll work out the kinks and work towards the next level, always moving forward. Eventually you notice that it gets incrementally better. But if you’re not feeling uncomfortable, you’re not pushing your business.

Always keep learning more, either through books or with a mentor.

You should always be learning. Get a mentor, get training, read books. You cannot be stagnant. You can’t keep doing the same things year in and year out and expect a different outcome. You must continually be investing in your own development.

Several people attend my conferences or field trips again and again. When I ask them about it, they say that they learn something new each time. They were in a different place in their business and took something new away because of that change in perspective.

Join us at an amazing 3-day session this March in Dallas!

I am always reading, and I even have a coach. For those years that I didn’t have a coach, shame on me. I missed out on some opportunities by not maximizing my own skills. If we’re not continually learning, we’re not motivated or held accountable or solving problems correctly. You can’t guess your way to the right solution. It’s about inspiration, accountability, and a kick in the pants when you’re having a pity party and just need to take action. Most of us cannot take action by ourselves. We need an accountability partner.

Stop comparing your business to others.

Please stop comparing your business with other businesses. This comparison will undermine your motivation and you’re never going to measure up. I only compare myself to the level of success I want to achieve. If i compared myself to other people I’d be miserable because there’s always someone doing something better than me, publishing a book or running a bigger business. Measure yourself against your goal for what you want to be. You can compare your business to your goals but not to any other businesses. This will keep you from always being disappointed in your results. And don’t worry about what people say about their business because there’s a good chance that they’re exaggerating. Just worry about you.

Celebrate your victories, both large and small.

Take time to celebrate your large and small victories. Too many people only celebrate the big victories but we all need little celebrations to keep us inspired. Take time to appreciate where you are, to celebrate the milestone that you’ve reached instead of always looking toward the next goal.

Treat yourself to something so that you remain motivated and feel like you’re making progress. This is what you work hard for—to buy the things you want and live how you want. If you’re always stretching toward a new goal without stopping to enjoy your achievements, you will just frustrate yourself.

Stop and celebrate your victories. You can’t enjoy your business if all you do is grind it out. Maybe you could give yourself a small raise or go buy something for yourself. You’re not in business just to get to the next level, you’re in business to live how you want. Getting to the next level is simply to fund the things that you want in your life.

I hope these tips will help you to fall in love with your business all over again and to stay in love with your business. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Was this helpful? Please let me know in the comments.

 

This is just a sample of the kind of help I can offer in my Cleaning Business Fundamentals course.