Being in business is similar to a long term relationship. What starts out with flowers, chocolates and your heart skipping a beat will turn sour if you feel you’re giving more than you’re getting in return.

Here are 6 signs that you might want to review your relationship with your business:

ONE: You hate “the work” of your business

To run any business there’s a wide variety of tasks, but you make your money by delivering value to clients. In a small operation, that’s generally the bulk of your day to day work.

Whatever your main money making task is, the ideal is to maximize the time working in your flow state, meaning you find your natural rhythm and harness your innate abilities.

Doing your best fit work gives you energy rather than drains you. If a high percentage of your work is a force fit you’ll get exhausted – and more so over time.

This is why “work to your strengths” is such great advice – from an energy perspective it’s the line of least resistance.

If this isn’t the case for you, it’s a signal to rethink your work practices or you’ll burn out.

You can employ people who are doing their best fit work and free yourself up to do what you’re great at. It is possible, I did it (though it took a bit of time, because I’m pretty stubborn).

This can also happen because your business grows and you don’t actually do the work that you loved in the first place, you just manage people who are doing that work. If that’s making you unhappy, that situation can benefit from a rethink too.

TWO: You’ve Stopped Learning and Growing

This is a problem because the need to progress is fundamental to humans. If we aren’t growing we cannot thrive. Especially if you’re a person with strong intrinsic drive, challenge is a necessary motivator.

Feeling trapped, limited or restricted is emotionally painful. It can make you feel lost, pointless and even hopeless.

So if you look ahead and only see more of the same – lather, rinse and repeat – and feel uninspired – it might be time for a rethink and a new challenge.

THREE: You’re Doing Too Much Yourself

This is such a common problem, and one anyone who has an “excellence” value is likely to struggle through.

Apart from the money making work in your business (discussed in point 1) you’re probably wearing many other hats; admin, sales, marketing, copywriting, technical support (the blackest hat of all), project manager, helpdesk, client pacifier – some of you even do book keeping.

Today’s to do list could last a fortnight and there’s no let up. Everything has a learning curve from hell. You dream of one afternoon to get things done, but other demands continually timejack you.

I so feel your pain, I really do. I remember screaming into my pillow at 8.30pm one night when I hadn’t crossed one thing off my list.

4 overlapping things make this challenging:

• learning to ask for and accept help
• trusting others to work to your standards
• finding and training people to do the above
• paying for those people if your business isn’t making a huge amount of money

Don’t despair! There’s so much help available to build effective systems in your business, figure out what tasks to delegate and how to train others to do them. If money is a worry, think of staff as an investment and not a cost. (And often an investment in your mental health!) Help is available at lower prices than ever.

You can do this! You must do this, or you’ll end up with 4.

FOUR: You’re Exhausted

Exhaustion or burn out will generally have it’s genesis in either or both of the previous issues, particularly where draining work is amplified by sheer overwork, complexity, the weight and burden of doing it all.

That’s assuming that your business is all you’re dealing with, and I’m certain that’s not the case. Our business is only one of many competing demands on our time and energy, and for many of us, it isn’t even our first priority.

Aside: Now I’ve written this, it’s amazing any of us have the energy to get through the day!

I hope it doesn’t seem like I don’t understand when I say the only way out of exhaustion is to change your situation, redefine some boundaries and create space for rest.

I know you’re strong, but if this exhaustion becomes part of life, it’s just not healthy. It’s preventing you living anything like your best life, and you need to address it.

(I remember people saying that to me and staring back at them hollow eyed, but deep down you know it’s true, no one can fix this except you).

Join the Business Bliss Challenge here:

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FIVE: The Business is Not Your Dream

I came across this a couple of times in my research, I think it is so hard to motivate yourself if your work is not delivering on your own “big why”.

Perhaps you started your business with someone else, or you saw a money making opportunity and went with that.

If you work with a partner on their dream, or have a business that you never felt passionate about, this is another one where you’ll be really well served by digging in and defining what is that you really want.

SIX: You Have So Much More to Give

This was the essence of my problem, and many of my friends before they pivoted their business. Even once I had stopped overworking and recruited a team that solved a lot of the urgent problems I felt called to serve in a greater way than my business seemed to allow.

Once you have met most of the core needs in your life, the desire to contribute more to the lives of others often becomes very strong. You feel a burning desire to live “on purpose” and in alignment with your core values.

Listen to this message, this is the prompt that can lead you to your greatest happiness and joy – your Bliss.

The Business Bliss Challenge (that’s a weird name, when we’ve been talking about all this negative stuff).

>> Let’s find out what you really want.

>> Let’s reduce the negativity and stress and make room for optimism, joy and fun.

>> Let’s reclaim the spark of inspiration that you had at the start.

>> 11 days, with a simple 10 minute task each day to guide you.

>> Once you know what you want, we can put you on a path to a breakthrough.

1 year from now you life could be transformed beyond what feels possible right now.

All it takes is that stake in the ground and consistent right action towards it.

You can do this, and I, plus a whole bunch of other bliss seeking challengers will have your back!

Join the Business Bliss Challenge Here:

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