Are you interested in creating a business that works for you and not feeling wrong about it?
There are so many labels, stereotypes and judgments about doing and being in business: you work too hard (or not hard enough), you don’t earn enough (or you charge too much!), you don’t take enough time “off” to relax or spend enough time with family and friends. Maybe you don’t fit into the “normal” ideas of working either: business hours 9-5 Monday to Friday, no work Saturday and Sunday, then start again on Monday with no joy or excitement because it’s “work,” and therefore not meant to be fun.
If you are in business for yourself, you’re probably already aware that you are different from others when it comes to business and have maybe struggled with the judgments and reactions around you because of it.
I have changed jobs frequently and love working a lot, no matter what time of day it is or how much in a day! People judged me as indecisive and a workaholic which left me feeling confused and somehow wrong for my point of view about business. Being joyful and adventurous with work seems to be weird in this world—the point of view usually is: work hard to earn money, but don’t enjoy it too much!
For anyone whose unique way of operating their business has become a daily issue for them or the people around them, here is a question to consider: how much have you tried to force your way of working and creating business to fit in with everyone else?
Put yourself back in the computation; stop yourself from falling into the trap of limits, judgments, stereotypes or labels that hold you back, and create a business and work life that works for you with these key tips:
Don’t see business as separate from the rest of your life
What if you didn’t judge anything about you or your business? What if you are not wrong that you love working and creating? What if this is your greatest strength that you could use to your advantage and spread across your whole life?
Too often, we learn to see business as separate to other parts of our life—we don’t see that one part can contribute to another easily. Rather than conceptualize your life into separate parts, what if you looked at your entire life as one whole business with lots of projects within it? If you acknowledge that your business contributes to your life, and your life contributes to your business, would you start to judge your life and your business less?
Trust your knowing with business decisions
An important skill in business is making expansive business decisions. Most people have difficulty making business decisions that work for them because they look to other people and external sources for answers of what is right and successful. However, this makes it hard to choose what works for you in business because it takes you away from your own instincts. What if you listened to your knowing and trusted you, even if it’s very different to what others say or believe?
Re-ignite self-trust with these questions:
– What do I know here that others don’t?
– What choices would work for me and my business?
– What information do I need and who or where can I get it from?
Talk (and listen) to your business
Most people look for answers with their business. What if asking questions was the key to keeping you out of the judgement trap and in creative mode 24/7? Are you willing to receive from and listen to the business, too? What if you and your business were co-creators?
Ask these questions with your business daily and see what changes:
– Business, what can I contribute to you today?
– Business, what do you desire to contribute to me today?
– Who or what else can contribute to the business today?
– What else is possible for myself and my business today that I haven’t considered before?
Develop your awareness beyond the obvious
If you are in business, it might be because you were aware that something different could be created in your life and in the world—but unlike many others, you chose to create it! What if you acknowledged your awareness and kept using it to expand your business?
Ask:
– What do I know about me and my business I have never acknowledged?
– What else can I create and generate that is beyond anything I thought possible?
– What can I add to my life and business that will bring everything to fruition with total ease?
– What can I choose today that will create a greater future 1, 5, and 10 years from now?
To go beyond the obvious choices in business according to everyone else, you have to be willing to have an adventure. Be willing for things to show up in unpredictable ways and not the way you decided (or have been taught to believe) it should.
Don’t forget your body!
Your body is 100% involved in your business. When you include your body nurture it, you will begin to see how much more you are capable of creating in your business. Oftentimes, you will find yourself much faster in your business process just by taking time to look after your body each day.
Schedule 30 minutes per day and one full day a week to do something that nurtures your body. Sit in the sauna at a local gym or spa and sweat out the toxins that build up throughout the week. Go on a nice walk in the park, then go home, take out a good foot massager, and pamper your feet. Do an activity for yourself that will put you in a relaxed state.
We often think that we should do business first and forget our bodies but try doing the opposite. When your body asks for attention, honor it first and take care of your health. See what difference that makes in your workday!
Breaking away from limits, labels and judgments becomes easy when you embrace and explore what is different about you. When you don’t judge or doubt your difference and allow it to contribute to you, you will not be the effect of the limits that other people take for granted, and you’ll create more than you think is possible.
