Do you really love what you do or are you in love with the idea of having your own business? You can fall in love but you have to work on the relationship to maintain it. Similarly, you have to work on your business to maintain your love for your work.
I have often lost track of why I do what I do. I get caught up in all the day to day things that must be done to maintain the business and I forget the love of it. I got into taxes because I love helping people find the best way to legally keep as much of their money as possible. It’s the everyday stuff like checking e-mail and voice messages that distract me from the love of what I do.
I have found that when my business gets in the way of what I love to do, I tend to just shut down and not get anything done. Since I work from home it is easy to just run off and go do laundry, or go bake cookies, or just sit down and veg out in front of the TV. That not only does not help my waist line, it also does not help my bottom line.
So how do you re-kindle the love for your business? I have found three things that help me re-kindle that love.
- Get away from it in a good way – For me that means signing up for an exercise class, and actually attending it. Or I might grab my granddaughters and head off to the museum for an afternoon in the middle of the week. Both activities help me see the outcome of what I do; I have the income and the freedom to take off whenever I want to. It is one of the reasons why for working for yourself and on your own terms can be so rewarding.
- Accountability – When I am working with a business coach, or if I have told someone else what I intend to complete that day, I am more likely to get it done. Once I get started, I really do love what I do and it gets easier to come back and find someone else a tax break. When I allow myself to get distracted by cleaning the house or even a sewing project, it is easy to convince myself that I would rather be anywhere than working. But, when I get started and can see that I am doing something that really helps others, I love it. I can’t imagine doing anything else.
- Clean the desk off – There is something about having a completely empty desk that is inviting. I just want to get to work – clutter is distracting and it can keep me from loving my job because it pulls my focus away from what I really want to be doing.
So, what keeps you going at work – are there any tricks you use to remind yourself of how much you really do love what you do?