The Honeymoon Is Over by @askdrtania

by Dr. Tania Howard | Featured Contributor 

You did it. You had a dream, set goals, worked like a dog, and started (or bought) your own business. From conception to completion, you were there every step of the way, building sweat equity and raising capital.

Finally, the day came when you opened your doors, whether they were the virtual or hinged kind. You may have had a grand opening or launch party, and thanked your lucky stars that all of your hard work paid off with customers, patients, followers and “likes”.

Now it’s on cruise control, right?

(Crickets) …can you hear them?

The honeymoon, I’m afraid, is over.

Just when you think you deserve a break from all of the stress of building your dream business, you’ll actually have to work harder.

Harder?

OK, how about harder or smarter?

Your business is like a marriage. In the earliest phases, the adrenaline rush of something new and exciting is enough to sustain you, food and water be damned. Moving closer to a commitment? You walk dreamy-eyed into your future, planning a fabulous wedding and picking out the house with a proverbial picket fence. The newlywed phase has you finding your rhythm and settling in to a routine.

Now what?

In order for a marriage – or business – to succeed long-term, you need to invest in it. Every. Single. Day.

You heard me.

There is no cruise control in business, and there is no nine-to-five. Yes, there are ways to live a balanced life, and in fact that is critical in maintaining your health and enthusiasm. But let’s get one thing straight: no one will care for your business like you do. Just as you can take pride in its success, no one will be responsible for its failure except you.

Lest you think I’m a Debbie Downer – this is a good thing! You should be in love with your business! If you wanted a job that you could leave at the office, you wouldn’t have opened or bought your own business, would you? 

If you are struggling with your commitment to your life’s work, however, here are some tips to keep that lovin’ feeling alive:

• Remember why you got into the business in the first place.
• Do take some time to replenish yourself. Schedule in a bit of “you” time each day or week. This investment will pay off in spades.
• Network with other business owners in similar and different fields to share ideas, but don’t make them bitch sessions!
• Exercise regularly. Put your workouts on your calendar. In ink!
• Put your “Game Face” on before you walk through the door or log in each day.
• Compartmentalize your time; in other words, stay focused and present. Don’t dilute your workday with time on Facebook or skimming the latest issue of Marie Claire. Likewise, don’t dilute your playtime with answering business emails or taking work calls, unless absolutely necessary.
• Give each day its fair chance. If you had a bad day, or week, forget it. Try to start each day with a fresh perspective.
• Remember why you got into the business in the first place.

I didn’t repeat that last one by mistake. You chose this, right? You are the envy of many, and had the guts to get out there and make it happen.

Celebrate that, and yourself, every day.

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Dr. Tania Howard – Health and Wellness Guru – www.drtania.com Annapolis, MD

Dr. Tania decided to become a chiropractor at age 15 when she experienced a complete metamorphosis in her health through chiropractic.  She completed her undergraduate work at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, and doctorate at Life Chiropractic College in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the founding partner of Broadneck Family Chiropractic, where she has practiced for over 20 years with two amazing partners who make it possible for her to take her message ‘on the road’.

Hollywood called, and she enjoys providing care on movie sets and behind the scenes at live performances. She’s been profiled in Washington Post Magazine and many trade publications, and has done extensive postgraduate work in prenatal and pediatric chiropractic, nutrition, exercise, and family wellness. A chiropractic lifestyle has helped her to stay fit enough to become a triathlete at the age of 40! She lives in Maryland with her three true loves, husband Braden and daughters Francesca and Julia.

The advice and guidance Dr. Tania has given her patients has been written, filmed, and boiled down to be informative, yet entertaining. There is a LOT of good health information available online, but most of it is, excuse us, BORING! Conversely, there are so many entertaining lifestyle bloggers to enjoy, but few, if any, have any healthcare credentials. She fancies herself a “Dr. Oz meets Bethenny Frankel” hybrid, and it’s our intention that Drtania.com will bring good, solid health and wellness advice from an “every girl” perspective, to it’s readers.

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