This blog falls on, “I Want You to Be Happy Day.” Just so you know, I want that for you, I want you to be happy. As entrepreneurs we are always reaching for the next thing, and we can lose sight of our progress and just how far we’ve come. I know that I am guilty of this. I have a coach who celebrates successes every Friday, no matter how small. Just so she won’t forget. Perhaps you can try that this week.

We hear a lot about employee wellness. Benefits in some companies include a number of free mental health counseling sessions, financial and retirement planning, and even gym memberships. But entrepreneurs tend to focus on the company and not personal wellness. And that can affect how you show up in the world.

Let’s be honest. Balance as an entrepreneur is a joke. There’s no such thing. Particularly in the beginning, and any time we scale and level up. We are either running “balls to the wall” to get stuff launched, shipped, served, and completed or we are in regular mode. I’ve never met an entrepreneur with perfect work/ life balance. Because many of us are “all or nothing” effort givers. But when we play, we play equally “all in.”

If we can accept that about ourselves, I think we can get rid of some of the “lack of balance” guilt, and just focus on enjoying the journey. I’ve made a commitment to focus on that for 2020 as well. Here are a few things that I am doing to try to embrace the journey.

1. Perspective and purpose. I have a saying, “The perspective you have is the seat that you sit in.” If we are all in the same car going to the same place the driver will have a different perspective than the passenger in the back, and the passenger in the back will be different than the front seat. But we are all moving along on the same trip. I try to keep that in my mind always. People do not have the same sense of urgency about things that I do, and that’s ok, unless I am paying you to have my urgency!

Others will rightly view things from their point of view and how THEY benefit from the transaction, partnership, or experience. Keep that in mind. If you keep “realistic” expectations of others stress melts. You can understand someone having a bad day or being frustrated. You can remind yourself that we are all human, and not hold yourself out as “more betterer” than anyone else. We all know how to operate with grace and service. Keep yourself there and the journey becomes a little easier to walk.

2. Gratitude daily. I am admittedly not much of a journal keeper, so I personally struggle with a daily written exercise, so sometimes I just tell myself three things I am grateful for. I try to do this every morning, and again in the evening. Particularly after a challenging day. It doesn’t matter how you do it, or where, or when, try to cultivate an attitude of gratitude throughout your day. It really does help change a bad mood.

3. Be present. I have to work on this one, I tend to have a million things in my head at any one time. But I am really working this year to be present in every interaction. To give 100% of myself to my colleagues and clients. To listen carefully and give nothing else my attention when I am working with someone. It has actually made work more enjoyable. Everything else can wait. I have made it a practice to spend 2-3 minutes before a meeting doing a “brain dump” onto a piece of paper before a meeting if I have a lot going on up there. This way I’m not afraid of forgetting everything. I wrote it down and can be focused now on the current thing.

I hope these few tips help you embrace the journey and love your life more. I’d love to hear your tips as well. Shoot me an email, post a comment, or hit me up on social. I am committed to making my walk as joyous as possible. During the climb, not just at the summit. Happy Entrepreneuring!