Marriages are ripped apart by adultery, lies, poor communication, and sometimes, by business. If you're not proactive, building a family business can destroy your marriage. Here are some ways to keep your marriage strong under the pressures of entrepreneurship:
1. Don't associate your business with your identity.
Marriage and business works well when both partners do the work, to show up in the world as who they really are. Many things block us from being authentic. Lack of capital, zero connections, "no" to sales pitches, an unforgiving spirit, worry, and negative thoughts are some examples. The family business itself can also stop you from reaching your full potential. There's a problem if all you can think about, speak about and give your full time and attention to is your business. You'll end up sabotaging your progress or plateau after some growth in the early stages. Know who you are, and know that who you are is not your family business. It's key to building a strong marriage that can overcome the challenges of growing a business.
2. Insist on giving back.
Couples who serve together have a better chance of building a successful. A life of service will fuel your marriage and put your ego in check. When you build your entire life around generating wealth, you invite your ego to rule your marriage and your business. When you focus on service, by and through business, you make room for love. That's what you want more of. That's the secret of families who stay strong and transfer wealth for generations to come.
3. Make love...more.
The other mistake that married couples make in the early stages of building a business, is not having enough sex. Travel schedules, low energy, the pain of rejection in sales, long work hours, balancing kids, friends and community obligations can interfere with time for intimacy. It's viewed as a necessary evil in some marriages, just to keep the peace. Here's another perspective. Great sex, in which both marriage partners are truly present and not thinking about business, can help generate energy and enthusiasm for business. Work through the issues that interfere with you experiencing joy in the bedroom. It will do wonders for your marriage and help to create harmony in your work together.
4. Get rid of a scarcity mindset.
Many entrepreneurs understand that you can't achieve much in business if you approach it with a scarcity mindset. The same applies to your marriage. If you think, "We don't have enough time to spend with one another while building this business," or "There's no way we can afford to take vacations together in the start-up phase," then you're right. However, you can make another choice. You can see abundance all around you. You can visualize a team that is competent to execute your vision, so that you can spend more time together. You can imagine more than enough funds to get away once a year. You can be grateful for a chair to share right now on an stay-at-home date night. You can be grateful for landing your first client, or for meeting payroll this month. Leverage an abundance mentality and grateful attitude in your marriage, and you can expect your relationship to improve.
5. Share spiritual practices.
You'll improve both your marriage and your family business when you take time to share spiritual practices. Pray together. Read together. Share lessons you're learning that's growing you to the next level. Sit still together. There's a time and a place to do these activities alone. There can also be a time and a place for couples to unite in practices that remind them, that we are spirit beings first.
Remember, a marriage that works and lasts can be the genesis of an amazing business empire. It's strategic and smart to invest in building a stronger union with your spouse.