Here are some quick wins you can implement today to start having more fun in your business:<ul><li>Don’t be afraid to experiment with new ideas. Allow yourself to get curious about what might happen, even if you have no idea whether they’ll be successful or not.</li><li>Celebrate every win. Rather than quickly moving on to the next challenge, spend time reflecting on why it worked and what you can learn from it.</li><li>Show up imperfectly. Allow your audience to connect with the human behind the brand rather than the flawless version of you.</li></ul>

Quick Wins for Struggling Entrepreneurs

<figure><img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/1*xtvQFxRIpYqNcb4-ryZu5g" width="680" height="459"><figcaption class="id ie cz cx cy if ig ce b ga cg fi" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@myleon?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" class="ck ih" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Leon</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/celebrate?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" class="ck ih" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>“No, thank you, I’ve already accepted a job elsewhere,” I lied.Following a particularly low point, I’d decided that maybe entrepreneurship wasn’t for me after all. My business no longer brought a smile to my face, and I woke up dreading each day.I began questioning: Why am I doing this?And so, I applied for jobs. I didn’t particularly care which ones; I just wanted out.It’s no secret that running a business isn’t an easy path. Inconsistent money, the constant worry that it all might fall apart, a long list of responsibilities you can’t just check at the door at the end of your workday.When the hiring manager called me to come in for an interview, the words spilled out before even thinking about it. No, thank you — I wasn’t ready to give up on my business just yet, but I knew something had to change.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Why I Decided To Have More Fun in My Business</h1>Three years earlier, I’d left my respectable corporate job because I felt bored and uninspired. Starting a business was exciting. Faced with endless new things to learn, I was beginning an adventure.Soon, though, my days became monotonous. I craved excitement. I wanted to have fun again.To top it all off, I wasn’t making much money either.Why had I left my corporate job at a respectable company for a pathway that didn’t feel any better?I knew I needed to enjoy myself more. I was running my business the way I thought I was supposed to, rather than how I wanted to. I wasn’t myself. I had built this online persona and found keeping up appearances exhausting.So, I committed to having more fun in my business, starting with these three things.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">1. I Threw Spaghetti Against the Wall</h1>When it’s your own business, it’s so easy to treat every endeavour as do or die. Rejection feels personal. Failure hurts. Mistakes leave you red-faced in front of a public audience.To counter these fears, I shifted my attitude.Where I had previously had a “this must work” mentality for every project, I decided to get curious instead. I approached new ideas with a mindset of, “I wonder what will happen if I try this?”.I allowed myself to be like a little kid. I gave myself permission to play. I started to experiment and get curious about why things were happening a certain way so I could learn from them.Being your typical entrepreneur, I have more ideas than I know what to do with. I started blocking out Wednesdays in my calendar, and I use this day to pursue whatever feels inspiring at the time. Sometimes I don’t feel inspired at all, so I read, walk, or float.Slowly, I started to realise: I could make my own rules here. I was allowed to enjoy myself. I didn’t have to struggle for my business to succeed.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">2. I Celebrated All the Wins</h1>My business <a href="https://themakingofamillionaire.com/5-unexpected-things-that-happened-when-i-made-1-million-in-2020-94864c2d4010" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">started to skyrocket</a> during the pandemic last year. For the first time in years, I had wins to celebrate and nobody with whom to celebrate. We were locked down. I lived alone. I didn’t even have my puppy yet, so I celebrated by drinking Shiraz with my fiddle leaf fig.Like most overachievers, I’m tough on myself. I have big expectations. I set lofty goals. Whenever I achieved anything, I would move on to the next challenge before reflecting on what I’d accomplished.I started having more fun by choosing to stop being so hard on myself. It’s far more enjoyable to focus on the things that go right than the things that go wrong.I believe that what we focus on expands, and by focusing on the wins, we subconsciously start to create more of them.Some days, it means pausing to celebrate with a tasty meal and close friends. Other times, it looks like taking a day off to reflect or booking a week away at the beach to relax.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">3. I Showed Up Imperfectly</h1><a href="http://stephtaylor.co/podcast" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">I publish three podcast episodes a week</a>, which is as much work as it sounds. I used to spend 45 minutes scripting every five-minute episode because I wanted it to be perfect. I soon started to resent my show.One day, I had the crazy idea to hit record and just start talking — and it felt much more fun than reading from my script. I had some minor stuff-ups. I said “um” a few times. Did my listeners care? Not at all.Trying to do everything to an impeccable standard was stressful, exhausting, and draining the joy out of my business. It felt liberating to realise that nobody else noticed when I showed up as less than perfect.My business being a personal brand, I felt a lot of pressure to present the glossy version of myself online. I only shared the highs with my audience, never the lows. When things weren't going great, I hid because I didn’t know what to say.By showing up as the imperfect but real version of me, my audience started to connect with me better — they could relate to my struggles because I, too, was human.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Takeaways</h1>Here are some quick wins you can implement today to start having more fun in your business:<UL><LI>Don’t be afraid to experiment with new ideas. Allow yourself to get curious about what might happen, even if you have no idea whether they’ll be successful or not.</LI><LI>Celebrate every win. Rather than quickly moving on to the next challenge, spend time reflecting on why it worked and what you can learn from it.</LI><LI>Show up imperfectly. Allow your audience to connect with the human behind the brand rather than the flawless version of you.</LI></UL>The wonderful thing about being in the driver’s seat is that you get to decide which direction you want to steer. You can choose to make building your business a fun experience.

Following a particularly low point, I’d decided that maybe entrepreneurship wasn’t for me after all. My business no longer brought a smile to my face, and I woke up dreading each day. It’s no secret…

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“No, thank you, I’ve already accepted a job elsewhere,” I lied.

Following a particularly low point, I’d decided that maybe entrepreneurship wasn’t for me after all. My business no longer brought a smile to my face, and I woke up dreading each day.

I began questioning: Why am I doing this?

And so, I applied for jobs. I didn’t particularly care which ones; I just wanted out.

It’s no secret that running a business isn’t an easy path. Inconsistent money, the constant worry that it all might fall apart, a long list of responsibilities you can’t just check at the door at the end of your workday.

When the hiring manager called me to come in for an interview, the words spilled out before even thinking about it. No, thank you — I wasn’t ready to give up on my business just yet, but I knew something had to change.

Why I Decided To Have More Fun in My Business

Three years earlier, I’d left my respectable corporate job because I felt bored and uninspired. Starting a business was exciting. Faced with endless new things to learn, I was beginning an adventure.

Soon, though, my days became monotonous. I craved excitement. I wanted to have fun again.

To top it all off, I wasn’t making much money either.

Why had I left my corporate job at a respectable company for a pathway that didn’t feel any better?

I knew I needed to enjoy myself more. I was running my business the way I thought I was supposed to, rather than how I wanted to. I wasn’t myself. I had built this online persona and found keeping up appearances exhausting.

So, I committed to having more fun in my business, starting with these three things.

When it’s your own business, it’s so easy to treat every endeavour as do or die. Rejection feels personal. Failure hurts. Mistakes leave you red-faced in front of a public audience.

To counter these fears, I shifted my attitude.

I allowed myself to be like a little kid. I gave myself permission to play. I started to experiment and get curious about why things were happening a certain way so I could learn from them.

Being your typical entrepreneur, I have more ideas than I know what to do with. I started blocking out Wednesdays in my calendar, and I use this day to pursue whatever feels inspiring at the time. Sometimes I don’t feel inspired at all, so I read, walk, or float.

Slowly, I started to realise: I could make my own rules here. I was allowed to enjoy myself. I didn’t have to struggle for my business to succeed.

My business <a href="https://themakingofamillionaire.com/5-unexpected-things-that-happened-when-i-made-1-million-in-2020-94864c2d4010">started to skyrocket </a>during the pandemic last year. For the first time in years, I had wins to celebrate and nobody with whom to celebrate. We were locked down. I lived alone. I didn’t even have my puppy yet, so I celebrated by drinking Shiraz with my fiddle leaf fig.

Like most overachievers, I’m tough on myself. I have big expectations. I set lofty goals. Whenever I achieved anything, I would move on to the next challenge before reflecting on what I’d accomplished.

I started having more fun by choosing to stop being so hard on myself. It’s far more enjoyable to focus on the things that go right than the things that go wrong.

I believe that what we focus on expands, and by focusing on the wins, we subconsciously start to create more of them.

Some days, it means pausing to celebrate with a tasty meal and close friends. Other times, it looks like taking a day off to reflect or booking a week away at the beach to relax.

<a href="http://stephtaylor.co/podcast">I publish three podcast episodes a week </a>, which is as much work as it sounds. I used to spend 45 minutes scripting every five-minute episode because I wanted it to be perfect. I soon started to resent my show.

One day, I had the crazy idea to hit record and just start talking — and it felt much more fun than reading from my script. I had some minor stuff-ups. I said “um” a few times. Did my listeners care? Not at all.

Trying to do everything to an impeccable standard was stressful, exhausting, and draining the joy out of my business. It felt liberating to realise that nobody else noticed when I showed up as less than perfect.

My business being a personal brand, I felt a lot of pressure to present the glossy version of myself online. I only shared the highs with my audience, never the lows. When things weren't going great, I hid because I didn’t know what to say.

By showing up as the imperfect but real version of me, my audience started to connect with me better — they could relate to my struggles because I, too, was human.

Here are some quick wins you can implement today to start having more fun in your business:

<ul><li>Don’t be afraid to experiment with new ideas. Allow yourself to get curious about what might happen, even if you have no idea whether they’ll be successful or not. </li><li>Celebrate every win. Rather than quickly moving on to the next challenge, spend time reflecting on why it worked and what you can learn from it. </li><li>Show up imperfectly. Allow your audience to connect with the human behind the brand rather than the flawless version of you. </li> </ul>

The wonderful thing about being in the driver’s seat is that you get to decide which direction you want to steer. You can choose to make building your business a fun experience.

3 Quick Wins for Struggling Entrepreneurs and Failing Businesses

Quick Wins for Struggling Entrepreneurs

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