When I was deciding on which public accounting firm to join out of college, one conversation with a senior manager from my top pick stuck out in my mind. He said, “we work hard and play hard.”
He had me at hello. I eagerly joined and quickly learned that working hard meant 60 hour work weeks and playing hard meant nice team dinners and meeting for drinks on Fridays at 7 pm. Don’t get me wrong. I loved it. I learned a ton and worked with awesome people. I even met my husband while working with this firm. At the time, he worked in the marketing department of one of my clients.
As much as I learned while working in public accounting, I’ve had to unlearn as an entrepreneur.
I was taught to value hard work above all else, which included showing my clients and bosses that I put in the time to get the job done well. Late hours, 7 am start days, no lunches, weekend hours. What I learned: Hard work is a high priority.
At the end of each job, we got evaluated. Every year, I was ranked among my peers based on my performance. This ranking determined my raise and bonus. What I learned: External measures matter most.
I vividly recall an afternoon when I had just wrapped up a client. I hadn’t worked out in weeks. I drank a much-needed massive cup of Dunkin’ that morning after a late night of work that was still sloshing around in my belly. I went for an easy run along the Charles River in Cambridge near my condo, eager to get outside. Yet, my body wasn’t having it. I was exhausted and nauseous. I was also frustrated that my body wasn't cooperating. What I learned: Hard work meant that my body suffered. And that’s okay.
Not surprisingly, when I started my first business, an accounting consulting firm, in 2008 I took the same values and teachings I learned in corporate accounting. As I see it now, I ran my business from my head.
My three children were so young at the time, each under 8. My plate was full, yet, I always felt like I should be doing more and never had enough time to do it. I wished I could have been cloned because I felt like I was doing the work of two people. I never had enough time and always felt this tension, this fear, that I was going to let someone down and not do what was expected of me.
My hard work tactic was only backfiring because I couldn’t work my way out of the hole of exhaustion and overwhelm. Yet I didn’t have any other tricks up my sleeve.
Hard work. Valuing myself based on how others judged me (or how I thought they judged me). Disregarding my wellness. All of this worked in the past. But not now. Not while I was running my own business.
As an entrepreneur, you know as well as I do, that your business is a reflection of you. It reflects your passions, values, and strengths. On another level, you can also consider your business as an energy you’ve created and nurtured. As you grow and expand, your business will grow and expand along with you.
Without connecting with your body, you’re likely feeling out of alignment with your business. When I was trying to run my business under the ole’ “work hard, play hard” model (aka from my head), I wasn't living inside of my body. No wonder my business felt so heavy and hard. No wonder I felt disconnected from it. No wonder I judged it so often and thought it should be growing faster and be more profitable. My business was lacking me.
Your body is the vehicle that communicates your intuition, needs, emotions, preferences, and passions. You’re your business's most valuable asset. When you run your business from your head, you’re missing a massive contribution; your body.
Your body is always offering you tremendous wisdom. The question is, are you willing to notice, respect, and listen to it?
I know connecting with your body in your business isn't so simple. Please know there could be other reasons besides just the teachings of corporate America that have you leading your business from just your head. I’ll be exploring them in some upcoming articles and videos.
In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you. Are you connecting with your body in your business?