It was the great Confucius who once said “choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Loving what you do for a living seems to be everyone’s dream but then again, love is apparently blind. Business needs passion certainly, but we need to be careful to keep our feet on the ground.
Here, in celebration of the ‘month of love’, are some classic loving statements, interpreted from a business perspective.
1. “’Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all” Alfred, Lord Tennyson
There’s a lot of truth in this statement, especially when it comes to serial entrepreneurs. In fact, you could argue that we only truly learn from our mistakes
2. “To me, you are perfect” Love Actually
As a business owner, you should always be striving for growth and achieving this will mean getting out of your comfort zone. Never assume your work is done – there is always room for improvement.
3. “Everything I do, I do it for you” Bryan Adams
If you are looking in the mirror and saying this, you might need to do some leadership coaching. If you’re talking to your staff, you’re bang on. Valuing your people builds trust and respect and these are the currencies of successful business.
4. “A simple ‘I love you’ means more than money” Frank Sinatra
In business, not much means more than money when it comes down to it. However, a little passion, enthusiasm and drive go a long way.
5. “If you find someone you love in your life, then hang on to that person” Princess Diana
No matter how passionate you are about what you do for a living, you always need to plan for the day it’s no longer there. Exit strategies are one of the most commonly overlooked elements of a business plan and yet, if you’ve invested and want to make a return, they are the only way to realise that.
6. “Love yourself first and everything falls into line” Lucille Ball
There’s no doubt that, no matter how rose-coloured your glasses are, running a business is hard work and needs effort. Don’t let any of those hopeless romantics tell you any different!
7. “Love recognises no barriers” Maya Angelou
Maya is a favourite of mine and, while she speaks a lot of sense, a lack of barriers can be a very bad thing in business. It’s critical to stay focused when it comes to planning and growing otherwise you will be at risk of spreading yourself too thinly and failing to deliver.
8. “I love her and that’s the beginning and end of everything” F. Scott Fitzgerald
We all know that work and other aspects of life need to balance out somehow. Being too wrapped up in work can result in early burnout. And our brains cement learning when we have downtime so, if you’re keen to grow as a person too, it’s always good to have some time out of the office.
As with everything, a balance is always best. Being passionate about what you do means enthusiasm and positivity for your staff and clients. Love tends to be a little more open to interpretation. Maybe we should think of our business like a marriage – it will have ups and downs and sometimes the passion may wane, but to make it work, we should commit to it and always strive to make it feel valued.
