It’s been a hectic couple of years for sure, so how do you take care of yourself, and reward yourself?
To answer that, let’s look through the lens of the Entrepreneur’s Journey.
There are 3 stages that a successful Entrepreneur must go through: Struggling, Surviving, Thriving.
Stage 1: Struggling.
When you start the business, you are struggling, motivated by the fear of failure, the hunger to feed your family, and the drive to overcome your struggles and build something special.
Stage 2: Surviving
Then you hit the next stage, where the business is up and running, but still, you are in survival mode because success is more about luck than planning, and the costs of growth are expensive. Cash flow may be tight, and you feel like you are just barely surviving, even though things are looking up and doing well.
Stage 3: Thriving
There comes a time when you enter the Thriving stage, where success is repeatable, the business model has been figured out, a good loyal team with tenure is in place, and high profits are achieved year over year.
Yet why do entrepreneurs hold back?
Even when entrepreneurs enter the Thriving stage, many are still held back by the feeling of Guilt or Fear.
Their nervous system is seared with the memories of struggle and a sense of survival, and they can’t permit themselves to enjoy their success.
Give yourself permission to enjoy your success and your journey along the way. Click To Tweet
I am no different, as an entrepreneur who has built a business (or two), I also need to take time to reward myself. I did so two weeks back when I flew to Southampton NY to purchase a fun little race car and drove it back home while visiting clients along the way. It was a wonderful road trip.
Happy camper!
In the mid-Atlantic area, I stopped to visit a special landscape contractor I have been closely coaching for a few years now.
He was proud to tell me that he is having his second million-dollar + profit year. There is plenty of cash in the bank, more than he ever had.
His team is running his business strongly, he has a second in command, and he and his spouse (who works in the business) take multiple trips a year.
Life is good.
And yet…he is hesitant to buy himself that Vette he has been wanting for a long time now.
The new Vette
It’s a great time to shop for a Vette because the new style is hot, and a super-fast version coming out next year.
He has bought so many vehicles over the year, that surely his dealership will help him get what he wants?
We discussed the cost of the pick-up truck he is driving — yep, it is pretty darn close to the cost of a sports car.
So, what is stopping him?
The guilt and fear that he doesn’t deserve it.
The good news, once you name your nemesis, you can slay it.
Identify the problem, and half your battle is won.
Your Challenge: Recognize that success happens along the way, not just at the end of your career or life.
Give yourself permission to enjoy your success and your journey along the way.
You only get one life, make it your best life!
