How You Run Your Life is How You Run A Business
Do you ever wonder if you could own your own business?
I grew up working in my parents' businesses.
I started stocking shelves at age 5, and I was so proud to contribute!
The very day I earned my driver's license, my dad sent me out in his 1984 Pontiac with over 100,000 miles on it to make deliveries for the business.
The car died on me in an intersection a few blocks from his store. 😂
Did I mention this all happened around 5pm during rush hour traffic near the university in a large city?
I learned a lot about myself and that car in those few sweaty minutes. 😅
That happened almost 30 years ago, but the lesson remains:
Anything I want to try, I'll approach it with my best capacity at the moment.
That is to say, I'll give it all I have. But...I will need to grow to move forward.
The catch?
Doing the work is what made me grow. In fact, I believe doing the work is the only way any of us can grow.
I had a driver's license when the car stalled on me in a busy intersection, but I didn't have the skills to navigate honking horns and my temporary anxiety. I needed to grow in that area, and doing my job gave me the opportunity to develop that new capacity and grow.
All I knew to do was pray and try the ignition...again. And again. And again.
I didn't have a cell phone to call for help, but I did form a quick plan...
to abandon the car and run a few blocks back to the store if it wouldn't start after a few more tries. Back at the store, I'd call for help to get the car towed away if need be.
With that newly-formed emergency plan in mind, I chose to take my hands off the steering wheel. I took a deep breath. I closed my eyes, and I prayed. I tried the ignition a few more times and - miraculously - the Pontiac came back to life.
This is how I run my business, to be completely frank with you.*
I am a certified coach, I have loads of experience, and my intentions are good.
But sometimes things don't work:
Women don't hire me, data from various sources doesn't agree, people leave ugly comments on social media, money is invested with no return, someone forgets a meeting we had scheduled, software crashes, an unexpected expense comes through, or something I thought would succeed...utterly fails.
That's when I take my hands off the proverbial steering wheel. I take a deep breath (or dozens of them). I close my eyes, and I pray.
Then I try again. I ask for help. I adjust the approach. I check my intentions and motivations and get back on the road.
It is an absolute blast and truly rewarding to own my own business, but I would never want to paint an unrealistic picture for you.
If you dream of one day owning your own business, take it from me:
You'll handle all the ups and downs of running your own business the same way you handle other stressors in your life.
If a change in plans sends you into a downward spiral, focus now on how to shift your approach so that you experience fewer shocks in your business.
If hearing "no" sends you into a tailspin of rejection, get some help now on navigating those feelings better so that you're ready for the likely rejection you'd experience owning your own business.
If you have limiting beliefs around money, find ways to tackle them now when it comes to your personal finances so that they aren't magnified when you run the show.
It's pretty dang fun to own a business. In fact, I think it's a great idea when you've wholeheartedly assessed your capacity to be emotionally available and resilient when you do.
My point? How you run your life today is how you'll run your business.
