success-1What’s missing and what to do about it.

Risk taking. That’s what you do as an entrepreneur. You take an idea filled with your passion and you put it on the line with your money, sweat, heart and soul. You are all in. The drive to succeed and make your mark moves you at the deepest core of your being. Will you be the one to create a transformational change in the way people do things? It can be all consuming. Every waking thought and sleepless night, filled with ideas and things to do, to polish the edges on fulfilling your dream.

It can be a lonely road with many breakthroughs and disappointments. To outsiders it might take on the resemblance of an obsession. Who else could understand your relentless focus? But you feel so alive laying it all on the line. There’s fear, and exhilaration, and every emotion in between. Who has time to sit still when there is so much to do? Is this you?

It might seem overwhelming at times. Many entrepreneurs struggle with that little thing called balance. Their lives are about their work. I know a little about that myself. Many years ago, I went five years without taking a week off. Why? Because I felt that I was at a critical point in my business and didn’t want to take time off.

Was that smart or effective? In hind sight, of course not. I could have been the poster boy for a life out of balance. And I was stressed out and unhappy, because I didn’t have a healthy perspective on what is most important. How balanced is your life? What’s really most important to you?

What about love? Is there time for that now, or is it better to wait until after you have made your mark and delivered on the bulk of your dream? Is love a distraction or an accelerator of success?

Relationships aren’t easy, and the idea of finding love for many can be outright scary. But, can it be part of an effective strategy for business? How important is love in your life today?

There is no right vs. wrong, or good vs. bad about what to do when it comes to love or anything else. We each need to find our own answers. I prefer to look at things in this light; is this beneficial, supportive, or helpful to me or not?

Here are brief sample relationship paths of four famous US billionaires: Bill Gates founder of Microsoft met his wife Melinda and married her when he was age 39, they dated seven years. Steve Jobs founder of Apple married his wife Laurene when he was 36. Mark Zuckerberg founder of Facebook married his wife at age 28, they dated for nine years. Sara Blakely founder of Spanx married at age 38.

Here’s an interesting fact; according to Forbes, of all the 1,226 billionaires in the world in 2012, 90% were married. While most of the billionaires on the list are men, according to Forbes, of the fourteen self -made female billionaires in 2012, eleven were married.

Dr Tom Stanley documented the wealth building wealth affect of marriage in his book The Millionaire Next Door. Dr. Stanley observed that millionaires have a unique ability to choose the right mate for life. Millionaires tend to look for spouses who are intelligent, honest, unselfish, supportive, and well adjusted in addition to be physically attractive. According to Stanley, picking a spouse was the most important decision that a millionaire could make, especially since millionaires are married before they earn their first million.

One of the key offsets to entrepreneurial risk taking is the ability to go home to a solid foundation of understanding and support. The security of a great relationship allows for confidence in calculated risk taking for the entrepreneur. It also helps to sustain great leadership and vision.

The evidence suggests that successful love relationships are important factor in achieving financial abundance and business success; however they are not a requirement for success.

Let’s examine the impact of stress because setbacks in business, as well as life, happen. Things don’t always go smoothly. Difficult times occur. When adversity strikes, how will you remain confident? What will keep you rock solid in the face of frustration and disappointment? How will you deal with countless rejection?

Stress is the great equalizer because it can take any of us down. What rituals do you have in place to de-stress? This is vitally important because challenges can devastate the confidence and decision-making abilities of even the most successful, executive, athlete and entrepreneur.

Who can you count on for emotional support? Going it alone and toughing it out is not an effective business strategy. Sometimes you need perspective. No one is so perfect as to not need the guidance and input of another from time to time.
Living the entrepreneurial life is not for the faint of heart, but has the potential for incredible abundance and life satisfaction. Are you ready to live life on your terms and without regrets?

In the end here are three things that matter most?
• Did I pursue my goals and dreams with courage? Did I life fully? Did I give it my best, not holding anything back?
• Did my life have purpose and meaning? Did I make a difference in some way? Did I matter?
• Did I love with passion? Did I have my heart filled because there was someone very special to share life’s ups and downs?

Overall life success can be measured by the amount of joy that we feel inside when we wake every day. That’s the aliveness that sustains the pursuit of any worthy cause.

Who is stronger and more resilient; a person who is financially abundant, or one who is emotionally fit? The mindset that is required to achieve overall life success requires emotional fitness.

Some things to consider: Create a place for balance in your life. Figure out ways to de-stress that work for you. Pursue love and meaningful relationships. Focus on the things that are truly important to you. Get the help and input of trusted friends and advisors when needed.

One of the mistakes that many people make is in thinking that intellectually understanding something is enough. Nothing happens because you understand it, or think Ok, I get it. Change only happens when you do something. What will you do to create the life success you want?

To connect with Jeff email jeff@peakresultscoaching.com

How Strong is Your Marriage?

The Relationship Success Indicator

Let’s take an honest look at your current understanding about the dynamics that make for relationship success.

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How Strong is Your Marriage?

The Relationship Success Indicator

Let’s take an honest look at your current understanding about the dynamics that make for relationship success.

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