We all know that when you start the track of becoming an entrepreneur there are NO days off and very little personal time. What we also know is that relationships can suffer due to your decision to become the next #ElonMusk . The question is how do you manage both without either suffering?
Let's talk about being an entrepreneur 1st! We know time is limited, but, what else do we know? We know that your mood may be altered due to being under pressure or stress to make this new business work. We also know money may be tight because now you solely rely on your own business to finance your life. You may be more tired than usual especially at the beginning of your new career because you use so much more brain power due to all the talking and the movement it takes to be successful.
Now that we have examined the negatives that comes along with being your own boss, let's look at the relationship. Your significant other may feel neglected, (since you are so busy). Finances may have changed, whereas now your partner has to pick up more financial responsibilities to support your dreams. Intimacy may be suffering because you just don't have the energy, and last, let's be honest, even significant others are not always happy about your decision and in some cases, envy will rear its ugly head (let's be real, we are friends right)!?
So you may say, I can identify with 1 or all of those things happening, so what do you do? First, before embarking on your dreams coming true, you should at least discuss this with your significant other, and explain how important this is to you. Also, explain the pros and cons (be honest). It is important that you share the good and bad so that it won't blow up in your face because you failed to share all the details of this transition. You also want to sit down and and create a budget with both parties giving input, so that finances can be arranged. You may find that it may not be the right time to move forward, and this may be a hard pill to swallow but its best to include your partner. Make time to spend with your significant other so they do not feel uncared for or unimportant. Now, this next tip use with caution...include them in your business. I say use with caution because they may make the situation more stressful, because now you have created something new to disagree about, or they may feel you don't value them if you don't accept their suggestions or advice. Tread lightly...
Last, make sure you compliment and acknowledge what they do and feel is important, as entrepreneurs, the conversation at times can become "me me me"...and you want to make sure you remember that if you are in a relationship, it should still include some "we". I hope your relationships can sustain an entrepreneurial spirit, because it is always a risk when you have to consider others and while relationships can be maintained and may even grow, shutting them out will definitely result in a FAIL.
Stay happy! You deserve it!