The Recipe for a Happy Business Owner
Does business ever feel a bit scary or depressing to you? Then you are not alone! Over the past year, I have noticed quite a few of my clients and many of my fellow entrepreneurs having an increase in anxiety and self doubt. Of course some of this is normal in business, but when it lingers… it becomes a problem that can hamper your chances of success and no one needs that right now.
My question is this: Is it the economy that is causing this higher level of anxiety or something else (or a little bit of both)?
So, I started reading news reports about the economy (the quickest way to get depressed!) and blog posts about why entrepreneurs lose steam after years of hard work. Then I got more granular and started seeing some trends when it comes to why some business owners seem to have a bright and shiny smile on their faces even when they are faced with extreme hardship while others seem stressed and unfocused despite healthy growth.
What I really wanted to know was the exact secret or recipe for being a happy entrepreneur in a not so happy economy. Don’t you?
Great, you’ve come to the right place then! Below are 7 common characteristics of happy entrepreneurs and an explanation for how you can make a few simple shifts to land yourself right in the middle of Happy Town. Are you ready? Let’s get to it!
The 7 Common Characteristics of the Happy Business Owner:
- A business that involves something the owner is passionate about (And that leads support team toward vision)
- A contagious positive mindset
- A healthy support network
- Daily inspiration and a success practice that starts the day off on a positive note – every single day
- Gratitude for experiences (good and bad) and a constant striving for personal growth
- Tailored systems designed to help them manage business and family with maximum efficiency and intention
- Clarity about what they want out of life
Okay there you have it! Do any of these qualities ring a bell? If not, don’t worry because we are now going to give you some action steps to inject these qualities right into your life using very simple steps! The good news is that this won’t require a ton of work because a lot of this has to do with shifting your outlook and spending some time making decisions about what you want out of life. However, the most important part of this process is making the commitment to making the necessary changes.
When you make a commitment to be happy in your life and your business, you will experience a deep inner transformation that will bring a sense of relief in knowing exactly what you are doing with every decision you make and a clear understanding about why each decision will bring you closer to your ideal lifestyle.
Let’s get started…
1. A business that involves something the owner is passionate about
This is pretty self explanatory. You probably started your business because you were passionate about some aspect of the business. In some way, it was related to a cause, belief or activity that resonates with you on a deep level. Or, you may have started your business because you thought it would make you a lot of money. In this case, you may be running a business that has nothing to do with passion, which can cause a lot of anxiety and unhappiness because you don’t feel inspired to do this work. I’ve been there! The solution to this is to either shift your business model or to add another revenue stream to your business that involves something you are passionate about.
2. A contagious positive mindset
The effects of having a great outlook and how it correlates to the level of success that one achieves pertains not only to entrepreneurs, but to people in general. This means, quite simply… if you want to be happy, you have to focus on the positive.
You may have heard me say this many times before, but whatever you focus on grows, so if you focus on the positive things, situations and people around you, they will increase. And vice versa. So, if you are reading this and realizing that you have a challenging time being an optimist, the first place to start is with your outlook. When you find yourself thinking or saying negative thoughts, switch gears and look for something that is going right.
3. A healthy support network
This goes without saying, but if you don’t have at least 3 to 5 people who you can turn to for advice, guidance or emotional support in business and in life, you will most likely end up feeling overwhelmed, discontent and alone. Create a list of your top support network members (therapists, coaches, mentors and/or advisers) and build making contact with them into your regular schedule.
4. Daily inspiration and a success practice that starts the day off on a positive note – every single day
How often do you consciously engage in practices that inspire you? How do you think you would feel if you chose to be inspired daily? Probably pretty good, huh? Well, the fact is that business owners who are happy with their every day life build inspiration into their daily routine. So, make a list of all of the things that inspire you and make a commitment to do them consistently. When we begin the day from a place of grounding and purpose, we have a greater ability to make decisions that will give us the results we desire.
5. Gratitude for experiences (good and bad) and a constant striving for personal growth
What do you think happens when you look for things to be grateful for? You guessed it! You have MORE to be grateful for! The practice of expressing gratitude regularly not only spreads joy to people around you, but it also makes you feel happy. If you are not used to the idea of being grateful (yes, this is normal if you have not been taught to express gratitude) the best way to start is to begin each day by writing for 2 minutes in a gratitude journal. Write freely about all of the things you are grateful for. Don’t filter, just let it flow and see how many amazing things you have to appreciate in your life and business!
This is a wonderful gift you can give to yourself and those you love.
6. Tailored systems designed to help manage business and family with maximum efficiency and intention
Studies show that children who are raised in homes that have an organized schedule and regular routine experience reduced anxiety and increased self-esteem. This desire for consistency and familiarity is a basic human need. It doesn’t change as we become adults, which is why systems are so important. Entrepreneurs and parents both have a multitude of tasks that we are responsible for performing. Without well thought out home and business systems designed to achieve specific results, things can fall through the cracks and you may be left feeling the impact.
However, when you have an organized daily, weekly and monthly routine, you will feel more confident and less stressed that you might miss a deadline, fail to respond to a client in need or send in tax forms when they are due. Systems keep you organized both literally and mentally, so put them in place if you want to be happy!
7. Clarity about what they want out of life
This is one of the most important parts of this whole happiness recipe. If we don’t take the time to dream and set goals for ourselves, we can drift through life feeling directionless and without purpose. Life has so much more meaning when we know exactly what we want and why. The same is true in business. If you don’t know what your end goal is, you won’t be able to set benchmarks to measure your success which means you will feel lost and unsuccessful. Create a plan where you lay out all of your personal, family and business goals so that you can work backwards and create an action plan for success.
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
-Herman Cain
Now that you have the recipe for what makes a happy entrepreneur, it’s time to create a schedule that includes all of the qualities listed above. If you need help creating this schedule or gaining clarity about what your goals are, this is where your support network comes into play (and if you need additional support, look into hiring a coach, therapist or mentor to add to your network).
What do you think about this recipe? Do you have any experience making small shifts and achieving great levels of happiness? Please share them with us in the comments!
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