As a small business owner, you may face pressure to be a people pleaser.
Have you noticed your mental health taking second priority?
Are you feeling stretched thin?
Have you been afraid of saying no?
If you’re exhibiting people-pleasing behavior and wasting mental energy, it’s time to make a change.
Today, we’ll dive into the importance of trimming for growth and setting personal boundaries.
Cutting Things Out Doesn’t Mean Quitting
One of the biggest things that we see people fall for is stubborn perseverance. Yes, it’s great to persevere, but you shouldn’t sacrifice yourself! Sometimes, things just don’t work out the way you’d hoped. While it can feel frustrating, this is a very normal experience.
Personally, we began working in the wedding industry. We toiled for long hours and had massive chunks of the year where we were wasting time with nothing to do. Then, when things got busy, we’d be so busy that we’d often have to decline a request that could bring in more money.
That’s not good business!
When you’re a business owner, you need to learn to set boundaries without feelings of guilt. Remember that your time is valuable and that your efforts are worth the price of your labor. Sometimes, saying no and stepping away from people-pleasing tendencies is the best thing you can do for yourself and your family.
The Process of Saying No
If you’re finding yourself sacrificing your mental health, time, and energy for your “business” without massive boosts to your income, then it’s time to set healthy boundaries. It may not feel good at first, but it’s best to ensure your business and life is properly pruned.
We’ve reached a point where we’re so happy helping our amazing Rainmaker Family that we just don’t have time to manage weddings anymore. It’s been a painful process, and we will always have a soft spot in our hearts for that part of our lives, but it just wasn’t working for us anymore. Every wedding was eating up time, and we could have used those hours more productively on other aspects of our businesses.
This pruning process is the key to success.
Remember: Business won’t be easy. You’ll often face painful decisions, and those may just include leaving something that you were once passionate about. Like our wedding business, you may have something you love doing, but it simply isn’t bringing in the money it should.
Don’t be afraid of letting go! You can still do those things in your free time, but you’ll want to retrain yourself to view them as hobbies.
Yes, we still (rarely) consider weddings, but we think of them as treats. They’re not something we’re doing for the bulk of our income, and they’re certainly not a priority. Instead, they’re a diversion from our regular day-to-day business lives.
People Change. Businesses Can, Too!
Sometimes, you may lose the initial spark you had for part of your business. You may find that you’re no longer passionate about a business that you once loved. That means that it’s time to find a new venture!
We’ve seen this plenty of times with the Rainmaker Family. People will establish lucrative businesses and realize that it’s not what they want anymore. Maybe they find a new calling, or something happens to change their worldview. Either way, they lose their zeal for a once-beloved business.
Whatever the cause may be, the result is the same: Someone wants to leave something behind. Many times, people feel guilty about this. They’ll feel like they’re abandoning a business or that they’ve failed.
That’s not true!
It’s perfectly fine to move on from one part of your life to another. Businesses change over time. If you no longer want part of a business, then let it go. If it’s successful enough, you can even draw back via outsourcing and allow it to run itself.
Even “failures” are opportunities.
Sometimes, a business just doesn’t work out. That’s okay! Learn from your mistakes and keep pushing. The priority is your family’s future.
Success is rarely painless and is never linear. Leaving behind something that was once important is a natural process. Take out the pruning shears and trim for growth.
Learn Even More About Business
If you’re afraid of the future or struggling to find a way to secure financial stability for your family, then it’s time to get some help! As Rainmakers, we specialize in creating solid business strategies. We give our family the tools to create amazing enterprises, and we love to see our members become entrepreneurs.
If you’re ready to change your future, then join us! Take the Rainmaker Family Challenge and learn everything you need to know about business in just one week!
