As business women, we may feel that we must make a choice between our love for our families and the passion that fuels our entrepreneurial spirits! What makes this dilemma difficult for women is often an issue of balance.
How do we juggle the demands of nurturing ourselves, our families and our businesses?
Recently I told my accountant that my balance sheet isn’t defined by the numbers on a ledger. Satisfaction in all areas of my life is more valuable to me that excelling in only one area.
Focusing on business can affect your marriage, but it doesn’t have to. You can have passion for both. Today’s businesswomen face a myriad of challenges, some of which include unsupportive spouses, and families that feel ignored or less important than the businesses that Mom is passionate about. Spouses can feel burdened by additional domestic responsibilities, threatened or insecure with jealousy, or concerned about incoming finances versus the output of time, energy and money.
While building businesses, relationships can shift, and you may feel challenged or alone. You may feel like you’re having a secret love affair, but it’s with your own business. I’ve learned what doesn’t work, and what does. Here are my tips for having passion for your relationships while keeping your entrepreneurial spirits high:
Take responsibility, have a plan and act. Share that plan with your significant other. Get them on board, and ask them for feedback, seeking to understand their perspective.
Know your priorities. Is your marriage and family a priority? Then act that way. Show them they’re at the top. Give… a lot! Don’t worry that you can’t be with them all the time; just make sure the time you are with them is quality time.
Talk about it. How the relationship is going is worth talking about daily. Don’t let steam build up. Just keep listening to each other.
You don’t have to decide between love and business. You can have it all!
There are some conversations you could share with a business coach or mentor that might be best kept out of the marriage for the peace of mind of your spouse. I’m here for you if you need me.
