“You’re trying hard not to show it.
But baby, baby I know it. You lost that lovin’ feelin’.
Whoa that lovin’ feelin’. You’ve lost that lovin’ feelin’,
Now it’s gone, gone, gone whoao- hoh.”
You know the song, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin” performed by the Righteous Brothers and immortalized in the movie “Top Gun” where Tom Cruise sings it to woo Kelly McGillis. You’re probably humming the tune right now.
Lately, have you been finding it difficult to feel the love about your coaching or consulting business or career? “Love,” you say? “Well, I love my spouse, my kids, my favorite sports teams, French vanilla ice cream, but love my business? I am way too busy to love my business. I’ve got emails to answer!”
Loving your business and the work you do is the most important strategic advantage in business today. When people love their work, they are inspired, passionate and committed to excellence. In spite of a turbulent economy, employee and employer dissatisfaction is commonplace. We have all read the studies that less than half of the global workforce feels valued by their employer and a large percentage of employees intend to look for a new job within a year. These people at all levels of an organization dread going to work, are resigned that nothing will change and are livin’ for the weekend. If this describes you or a client of yours, it is possible to start feelin’ the love again and recapture the excitement in your business and career.
Your “Love Your Business Challenge” to feel the love is a three-step process:
Step 1: Take a trip down memory lane and remember when you first loved your work. You felt motivated and excited about going to work. Somewhere along the way, you started pressing the snooze button. Think back to the times when you were bright-eyed and enthusiastic about the massive learning curve that consumed you. Recall when you spent hours immersed in creating a new process or product and not even realized it; when you were energetic, passionate and having fun using your natural strengths and talents.
Remember the first days at your business and how much you enjoyed your clients or coworkers before you had them all “figured out.” You were naturally engaged in conversations about the limitless possibilities of your work, the team’s creative capacities and the company’s future. As corny as it sounds, love was present and palpable.
Write down your loving recollections, feelings and experiences. Remember the old saying, “A short pencil is better than a long memory!”
Step 2: Admit it. Like the song says, “You’ve lost that lovin’ feeling.”
Acknowledge what you’re feeling and do an analysis of where or when this happened. Were you ever tempted to chuck it all and start over in a new business or another company? Take a long, hard and honest look at the decisions you made then about your business, career, clients, co-workers and partners and your future career path. Who was wrong or right in the process (yourself included)? Are you holding on to old beliefs or behaviors that are no longer serving you?
Step 3: Change yourself and your circumstances will change. Begin to think and act as though you actually LOVE your business and career. Behave like a person deep in the throes of passion, follow the love in your business. Give up any resentments, disappointments, hopes or promises about how it was “supposed” to be?
Short pencil in hand; list what you are willing to start/stop/continue doing in order to get the love back again. Make the tough decisions; fire the clients that you are tolerating and don’t love. Leave the job you aren’t lovin’ or courageously reinvent the career that you have written off.
When love is present, there is compassion, forgiveness, appreciation and action. Finding renewed purpose and commitment will widen your view about your work and make a positive impact on your company, community, nation and the world. Yes, the world.
Create an environment that will support you in bringing the excitement back. Engage your mind, body, soul and feet; get moving and take action. Actively seek out com munities of other business lovers. Watch out for the naysayers, cynics, doomsayers and the people that are “just getting by” in their professional lives. Study the most successful organizations and people in and out of your industry and see how they love the work they are doing. Construct a new Business Love Manifesto to declare your love to your employees, partners, clients and prospects. Remember that new eyes, ears and moving feet will guide you to new opportunities.
Declare your Business Love Woman or Manifesto and share your experiences of renewed love, passion, admiration, puppy love about your business and career.
The positive effects of loving your business will transform the way you approach your daily living and the results you enjoy. My clients report that when they are more loving at work, they naturally have a more loving and rewarding family life.
Loving the work you do and being proud about the contributions you make will transform your life and your business. By engaging in the Love Your Business Challenge, you will create new and rewarding opportunities and have more fun along the way!
About:
Kathleen Caldwell is CEO of Caldwell Consulting Group, founder of the Women’s Success Accelerator ™ and C-Suite Network’s Women’s Coaching & Consulting Council. Kathleen is the author of the soon to be released book, “Success Mindpower: Use Your Powerful Mind To Play And Win YOUR Game Of Success.”
Ms. Caldwell is a philanthropist, credentialed success coach, professional speaker and author who has mentored and advised thousands of entrepreneurs, executives, leaders and business teams around the world to greater success and profitability.
Kathleen has received numerous awards and honors including the designation of “Woman of Distinction” and “Influential Woman in Business” and was recently honored as a GEM – Generous, Enthusiastic and Motivated leader in her community.
Awards, aside, Ms. Caldwell is known best as a connector and is excited to share her alliances and new business strategies to support leaders and organizations in their business and career success.
In her spare time, Kathleen is a certified Zumba instructor, health coach, and success hypnotherapist and has a passion for international travel and ballroom dancing with her sweetheart and husband, Michael.
