Does your business bring you happiness? Is your business built around your lifestyle? Or is your life forced to conform to your business?
Bhutan’s King Jigme Singye Wangchuck gained some fame for putting forward the “radical” idea that a country’s success should not be measured in terms of its GNP. Instead, he suggested measuring the success of a nation by its GNH — its Gross National Happiness. He pointed out that if the people are not leading happy, fulfilling lives, it doesn’t matter how healthy a country’s economy is.
This same notion can easily be applied to your business. If it’s not making you happy, it may be time to re-assess the reasons you went into business in the first place.
Why Did You Start Your Business?
Did you start your own business for money or freedom? Did you want to be in full control of your time and your life? What are your priorities?
Maybe you wanted to get away from the rat race of the corporate world. Maybe you pictured yourself free from five days a week in a cramped cubicle, pictured yourself spending more time with your family. You saw yourself choosing your own hours and having time to enjoy your hobbies, travel, sports.
Running a business can either give you that freedom or it can rob you of it. It all depends on how you build your business in the first place. If you set some rules from the beginning, define what you want to do, then build your business around your lifestyle, you will reap a high level of GBH — Gross Business Happiness.
How To Get Happiness From Your Business
First, decide what you want in your life. Picture your ideal lifestyle. Do you want to spend long vacations in other lands? Do you want to work evenings and have your days free for golf? Do you want to stay at your ski chalet for a month every Spring? Write down exactly what your business will allow you to do … what kind of lifestyle it will let you lead.
Next, write down what you will or will not do in your business. Do you like meeting customers? Or would you rather keep them on the other side of a computer screen? Do you want to go on business trips? Or are you a happy homebody? Do you want to sell physical products? Or do you want to sell downloadable information products or software … and avoid the hassles of inventory?
Using a list of rules for your business will also ensure that your business is successful. When your goals for your business reflect the priorities in your life, it is much easier to be disciplined and follow your business plan.
When Your Business Fits Your Lifestyle It Will Flourish
Because your business activities allow for your lifestyle, there is less temptation to sidetrack you from the jobs you need to accomplish. You’ll find it much easier to stick to your goals. Since your business doesn’t intrude on your life, your life doesn’t interfere with your business.
Spend some time building your business around your lifestyle. Build it around your needs and wants, and your business will bring you not only money … but also happiness.
