I stumbled upon an Instagram reel claiming childless people are happier. It got me thinking about how business is actually like parenting, so I want to talk to you about Why We Should Treat Business Like Parenting.
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Is Happiness the Ultimate Goal in Life and Business?
Happiness is the goal in life and business, or if it’s really something else?
This whole question really came to me after I was scrolling on my Instagram, and I came across a Reel of a man who said, “Studies show that people who don’t have kids are happier.” And I thought, well, that makes sense. Having a kid is a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of testing our patience, a lot of realizing our own traumas through parenting, a lot money, a lot of work right?
And at first I was feeling a little like, “Wow! So is the answer to a good life to not have kids?” It really had me questioning my whole life. Does that ever happen to you when you’re on Instagram? There’s just ONE video that hits a nerve and you can’t stop thinking about it?
Well that was me… But then I thought about this idea of being happy.
Why We Choose Parenthood Despite the Challenge
In general, when we’re happy, it’s usually because we’re doing something we want to do, as opposed to doing something we DON’T want to do, right? I mean, it’s pretty basic, but I’m happy when I get to take a nap when I’m tired. Or when I get to go for a walk with my family. Or when I make a big paycheck.
I’m NOT happy when I have to drive into the office for work, or clean up a big mess that my child has made, or when I have so many things to do and I don’t feel like I have enough time to get them all done. Right?
So my thought was, if having kids makes us so unhappy, why do we do it?
I bet I’ll get some firey moms in my comments telling me all the amazing things about being a mom, am I right?
But my conclusion was two fold. One, society has kind of told us that as women we’re supposed to have kids, right? But we’re not going down that rabbit hole. The other reason that we do it, and the main thing I want to talk about is because of what every parent has always said to me throughout the years, which is “Being a parent is the most rewarding thing.”
People Choose Parenting Because It’s Rewarding
People do it because it’s rewarding. But what makes it rewarding? Well, any mom would tell you, its that unconditional bond you have with your child, and it’s that mothers intuition that makes you so utterly aware of how deeply connected you are to your child and how no one knows them better than you do.
And when it’s rewarding, what kind of feeling do we get? Is it happiness? Or is it something deeper than that? I’m going to say yes. I say it is deep rooted fulfillment.
And I’m going to argue that the thing that we’re really here to achieve in our lives is fulfillment over happiness. It’s just that sometimes, it’s hard for us to choose fulfillment over happiness because often times it’s not necessarily the thing we want to do in the moment.
Why We Should Treat Business Like Parenting: Why Am I Talking About this?
Now you might think, Lindsay, don’t you usually talk about business? Why are you talking about parenting?
And the reason why I wanted to talk about this is how it relates to going for our goals and our dreams.
So I think parenthood is ONE of the only things that we do as a society where we opt for fulfillment over our own happiness.
For example, they say that 92% of people don’t ever go after their goals or dreams. They just give up, or they think it isn’t possible so they never get started.
And I think this is a testament to most people choosing what’s easier now.
Life’s True Reward
We don’t want to start a business and fail…that would make us really unhappy.
We don’t want to continue to put work into a business that doesn’t seem to be growing as fast as we’d like because what if it doesn’t work out in the end? That would not make us happy.
But as they say, most people on their death beds don’t regret what they did do, it’s what they didn’t do that they are most regretful about.
And the reason we probably would get to that point is because we chose to be happy. This can show up as comfortability. It can show up as not being judged, or not failing, instead of trying something that could truly make us fulfilled.
If we looked at some of our goals and our dreams the way that we look at parenting, then we’d be much more likely to take action on them because we’d realize that down the line, the hard work now, will pay off and make us feel much more fulfilled in the future.
Why We Should Treat Business Like Parenting: A Journey of Sacrifice and Fulfillment
The other interesting parallel between parenting and business is this. Often parenting is about doing what you’re doing for the benefit of the child. I hate disciplining my daughter. I hate when she is disappointed. But I discipline her or tell her no because of safety, or because of health right..
And with business, it’s also about the other person. It’s not necessarily about how much money we can make in our business. Or the goals that we’re going to hit. Because sure, it makes me SO happy when I am able to make money in my business. But it’s so fulfilling when a customer tells me that they loved my course. Or that they loved my digital product that touched them or helped them somehow in their life. The takeaway is this. How many people can we impact with our business? What can we create in our business that is going to bring value to others? That’s where the true warm and fuzzies come from.
What Do You Think When It Comes to Why We Should Treat Business Like Parenting
Do you think that the happiest people are those that are doing all the things that they want to do? Or are they the ones that are prioritizing the things that make them most fulfilled?
As you may know, I’m Lindsay. I teach women how to make money online using their creative skills. I hope it was helpful to you in some way today. Want to get started selling printables so you can build a business online and treat it like you do your parenting? Grab my free planner to help you get started here!
I hope you enjoyed reading this article, Why We Should Treat Business Like Parenting. Let me know how I can help you in the comments below!
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