This is one of a series of brief posts to get you thinking about enjoying business more. Feel free to comment.
I've met and worked with thousands of business owners in my time: those who are really struggling; those who are getting by; those who are doing pretty well, thank you very much; those who are doing really, really well. Amongst all of them, it's very rare to find someone who truly enjoys their business.
Sure, most people like the core thing that they do – otherwise, you've got to be asking some pretty serious questions. However, general conversations would always shift, quite quickly to a moan or a grumble about not having enough time, not having the right people, customers being a pain and so on. Always something to moan about, never really enjoying what they do.
Now, I get the fact that we're British and being happy doesn't come naturally. And I agree, those people you meet who are always bouncing around constantly saying how 'stupendous and amazing' everything is, are very annoying. They're probably overcompensating for something very dark.
Nevertheless, the overall majority of business owners live in a world which is, at best, OK. Tolerable. Not bad.
Doesn't sound great to me.
Every now and again you do meet someone who's got it all sorted. They're clearly driven and focussed, but not to the point of obsession. They walk around with a natural air of inner confidence, but never arrogance. And truly give the impression that, the fact that they get paid to turn up and do what they do, is just an added bonus.
It's worth paying attention to the people you meet and trying to spot what's really going on. And, of course, spend some time thinking about whether or not you truly enjoy your business.
Next time, I'll be looking at the first of three key issues that business owners face that prevent them from enjoying their business.