Victim. Bully. Best Friend.
Your life is full of relationships -- of all kinds.
If I was to ask you to describe the relationship you have with your business, what a would you tell me?
It might feel like a funky question at first, but let’s explore it.
On any given day, how would you describe your relationship with your business? Write it down.
When you read it back does it sound like...
...You are you a victim in the relationship?
...Maybe you are the bully?
...Maybe a slave to it?
What are the not-so-positive words that came up?
Demanding
Exhausting
Frustrating
Emotional
Depleting
Taxing
Those words reflect how you are showing up for your work.
Instead, let’s love your business for all you can. Like any relationship you love and adore, it loves you back and you want more of it.
Think of your best relationships and how you show up for them. You give, support and add to it. You show up for them. You extend yourself when things don’t feel right. And when they give to you, you feel more connected and all of the other loving things.
Diagnose it
You spend 40+ hours each week with your business giving it your blood, sweat, and tears.
Bringing awareness to your relationship -- the push, the pull, the give, the take – is the beginning to a more connected and giving relationship.
How do currently feel about your business?
What thoughts do you have feeling that way?
What are the results you're producing with these feelings?
(Keep going with your own questions….)
This isn’t a complaint session but an exercise to reveal awareness and understanding that isn’t cursory, but filled with ‘data’ from which to solve from.
Define it
Imagine the most loving, caring, giving feelings your work could give you.
What could be different when your relationship to your business is thriving?
Let's say you want your business to be:
Growing
Impactful
Giving
Additive
You want more freedom.
What do you need to give it? What do you want it to give you back?
When you give to any relationship intentionally, thoughtfully (read not willy-nilly), you experience new results.
Manage and measure it
This exercise works best when you consistently touch base with your business ‘better half’. Look for when it's off track.
Notice if you are overworking or you are giving too much head space outside of working hours. If it's out of alignment, where does the business need to be so that when you close your computer at 5pm it stays closed, and you don’t think about it again until your morning coffee. Get intentional.
I know you are calendaring and measuring your time against your goals because we talk a lot about it here. When you see it’s out of alignment, that’s your signal to give, love and support before deeper fissures take hold.
Wanting your business to give you more profit means dedicating more time to the numbers to lovingly understand the levers and then working them.
If your people are not producing or the back office is a mess or sales are down, could it be that you haven't been focusing your loving attention to managing, operations or marketing?
Gratitude
Don’t under estimate, the power of gratitude. Look at what's working and build more success from it. I heard beauty business extraordinaire, Bobbie Brown, talk on a panel where she was asked this question: "I’m trying to scale my business from six figures to seven figures. What advice do you have?"
Bobbie Brown was quick to offer that she look at the success that created the six-figures and create more of it. Acknowledging what you’ve accomplished, created and what's working is a proven mind-set builder.
What are the things in your business that need your loving attention today?
You may feel like there is no time for this. That's your mind finding evidence to protect you from the uncertainty of change. The mind doesn’t like to do work with the unknown or without certainty.
Also, think about how you speak to yourself and your business when you’re disappointed. Having a great relationship with your business means you can acknowledge you love it even while you’re troubleshooting something you want to improve or change.
Think about what needs to happen for you to tell your business: ‘You really surprised me. I love spending time with you. I’m learning every day, even the hard stuff. I’m better because of you.’
Decide today.
Will you be the victim, bully or the best adoring friend with your business?
If you are ready to spend less time in overwhelm, feeling burnout and ready to get focused with a vision forward, let's get on a consultation call. Here's one client's experience:
"I'm more confident. I'm able to manage my burnout better and spot red flags from further away. I have more clarity on where I'm going, where I want to take the business, and how to execute my big vision." Founder & CEO
Are you ready? Book your call here.
