Lately I’ve run across more than one budding entrepreneur who makes building a business out to be nothing but serious and a lot of 
hard work. I’ve been pondering this a lot. Our energy follows our thoughts. When we hold only serious energy toward anything, it BECOMES hard to us. We fulfill our own expectations. We start believing that there is too much to do, too much to learn, and that we are overwhelmed. Here are just a few examples I’ve run across in the past months:
- It’s no fun to pay attention to weekly income and expenses.
- It’s no fun to carve out the time needed to work on my business, not in it.
The truth is, your business will flourish the more you weave fun into it. When we look forward to learning something new rather than thinking it will be overwhelmingly difficult, we create energy toward our own success. When we hold our work lightly, it feels much less burdensome and hard. We end up with a more positive energy toward the things we have to do. We all know this, but when it comes to our work we sometimes tend to forget it. We think we have to labor at our work, or keep it separate from our fun.
Dread has no place in your life as an entrepreneur. You didn’t set yourself up to be the boss of you just to feel dread toward your work, did you? 🙂 One way to handle feeling too burdened or overwhelmed is to make sure you inject some fun and things you truly enjoy into your business. Tiny pleasures or large ones, they all help you succeed in your work.
Here’s just a small example. I’ve always loved the color turquoise, so to inject a little bit of fun into the work of updating one of my websites, I used it and asked Facebook friends what color to pair it with. I ended up with a dynamic combo of my fav turquoise paired with peach. I love it, and I had fun I had pulling it together. (You can check out the result at suepainter.com.) How fun it was to read the other day that turquoise has been named “color of the year.”
Often I encourage my clients to plan personal retreats to work out their stuck places and to work on their business planning. These are fun despite being productive. Go where you’ve been wanting to go, or return to a place you enjoy. Not only does the prospect of a trip create a welcoming energy, you are so easily able to work on your business rather than in it, getting away from the day-to-day routine. Go by yourself, or pair up with another entrepreneur who also wants to hammer out some work. You can weave breaks into your day, walk on the beach, get a nice dinner, shop. But for the most part, you are giving yourself uninterrupted time to invest in your business. Don’t sabotage yourself by making this a family vacation, either. It’s not – it’s for YOU.
You can also form a small Mastermind group with people you truly enjoy, and meet by phone or in person to help each other with business issues. Make it fun – meet over a good bottle of wine, take a walk, whatever you enjoy. For a while last year, I did this with another entrepreneur by meeting her to water walk and swim together. We’d do that, then get into the warm therapy pool and stretch both our bodies and our views of our businesses.
Do you have staff or employees in your business? In nice weather, try meeting outdoors with a picnic lunch. Just think about ways to bring joy and pleasure into your endeavor. You’ll benefit both in your spirit and your bottom line. Think easy-peasy, not hard. Think mastery, not failure. Think simple steps, not big overwhelming project. You didn’t put yourself in business to feel fearful, down or out. You put yourself in business to serve others and create a world of work that meets your income and lifestyle wishes. Fun will help you get there, even in small doses!
(c) Sue Painter
Phil Dyer says
February 5, 2010 at 10:41 amSue – Thanks so much for sharing this truth…having fun, not taking yourself seriously, laughing and smiling, even around serious subjects (money, pets and kids) can brighten things up SO much!
I will go a step further and emphasize how critical it is to be your authentic self in your business. I see so many business owners who put on “armor” before they go to the office…because they feel they have to project a certain image. It ends up shutting them off or connecting them with the wrong type of client.
I always tell my strategic coaching clients that if they want to attract their ideal client, they must be themselves.
Phil
suepainter says
February 5, 2010 at 5:47 pmThanks, Phil. I agree you really must “be yourself” to attract clients. Took me a while to learn it.
Sue
suepainter says
January 29, 2010 at 5:49 pmHi Trudy,
It’s great to meet outside. Or in the pool, or on a patio – just be outside for a different energy and inspiration. I love taking my private clients to a great resort for a few days of intense work and intense relaxation – you wouldn’t BELIEVE how they change!
Sue Painter
Trudy says
January 29, 2010 at 11:33 amSue – this is fabulous and oh so true – we have to have fun! I really like the suggestion for outdoors meetings – fresh air, sunshine, greenery. I often “meet” with a colleague and we have a super walk while discussing whatever is at hand. Trudy
Lisa Manyon says
January 29, 2010 at 10:56 amSue,
I LOVE this message. It’s so important to have FUN in business and to surround yourself with things, people, colors that please you.
We’ve talked about the power of color before and I have to say seeing my branded material in purple hues makes me smile every day. I love that your favorite color is the hottest color of the year.
Cheers to having more fun in the business of life.
Write on!~
Lisa
suepainter says
January 30, 2010 at 10:42 pmHi Lisa,
Thanks for your comment. I’ve believed in the power of color to change mood since I was a little kid. Years later, I learned about the colors for the chakras, balancing energy with various colored stones, and using colored lights for healing work. Think about how colored lights are used in live theater to evoke a certain mood, too. Today, I cringe when I see all gray schools that have few windows and look for all the world like dull prisons. Your color, purple, is a powerful energy color. You go!!
Sue P.
Lynn Moore says
January 27, 2010 at 8:08 pmOh Sue, I love you! Fun is what life needs. Too much seriousness out there. I have to have fun now although it didn’t use to be that way and I know both sides. So now it’s about fun mixed with responsible work.
Thanks for this
Lynn
suepainter says
January 27, 2010 at 8:19 pmHi Lynn, I agree, fun mixed with work is the way to go. For the past year I have been mixing biz retreats with travel, and it’s really made a great difference for me. Try it!
Sue P.
Social Media Consultant says
January 27, 2010 at 6:47 pmWhat a great message Sue! Even though I love, love, love what I do, I still take my business a little too seriously. I am going to take your message and add some more fun into my business.
Christine McIvor
suepainter says
January 27, 2010 at 8:17 pmGood! I hope some of that will be when we are in LA. 🙂
Sue P.
Katherine C. H. E. says
January 27, 2010 at 6:45 pmSo true, Sue!! It is always great to be reminded. Last fall when I did my values audit, I realized that hilarity and fun are right up there but that I hadn’t really made them a part of my business model. Gotta keep things juicy! Thanks for being you, Sue! XO, Katherine. ♥
suepainter says
January 27, 2010 at 8:16 pmKatherine, It took me a while to realize that really I needed to build in the “fun factor” to my biz. I think that comes from having a background in a serious research organization. But doing things with a little zip is a LOT more fun!
Sue P.
Mitch Tublin says
January 27, 2010 at 6:16 pmSue, Great points you make here. Another idea is to have an affirmation for each week. Say it aloud often each day and smile.
Makes you and everyone around you feel your positive energy.
Mitch
suepainter says
January 27, 2010 at 8:14 pmI like the idea of smiling at your own affirmations, Mitch. Thanks for your comment.
Sue Painter
Terry Monaghan says
January 27, 2010 at 2:55 pmSue – I LOVE, love, love this post! I think life is just waaayyy too short to not be having fun!
Thanks
Terry
suepainter says
January 27, 2010 at 5:26 pmLOL, Terry….life IS short, and work, for me at least, is much better when it’s fun.
Sue
Laura Hollick says
January 27, 2010 at 2:18 pmSue, you are so right in addressing the importance for us entrepreneurs to take good care of ourselves.
I regularly schedule days and weeks that are devoted to nothing, this allows my spirit to recharge and refocus on what is essential in my business.
Thank you for reminding me that my mental, emotional, and spiritual health are key pieces to the success of my business.
suepainter says
January 27, 2010 at 5:25 pmI schedule “personal and business retreat” times regularly, too, Laura. Usually quarterly, sometimes more often. It really makes a difference in my work.
Sue