When
I was young, older people used to tell me that before I knew it I would be
looking back and wondering where the time went. While I never argued with this
concept, when you wake up with youth and energy it can be difficult to really
understand what this truth means. As I sit in front of my keyboard and realize
that one week from today I will turn 70 years old, the reality of my age is
upon me. While I continue to work each day to publish the kind of information
that will help our readers improve their operations and keep on top of the
latest industry developments, I am realizing that being an entrepreneur takes a
toll.
I can
remember when I started Industrial Reporting, Inc. in 1977. After over 35 years
of working with and writing about my pallet friends, my energy is fading even
while my passion for everything pallets remain strong. I recently ran across an
article from Inc. magazine entitled “I Thought I Knew You – Entrepreneurship
Changes People – and Not Always for the Better.” This article caused me to
ponder how I have changed over the years.
There
is no doubt that the daily entrepreneurial challenges of running a small
business have changed my personality. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, the average adult worker spends 8.8 hours on working and related
activities. That’s a large percentage of your day, and it can’t help but have
an impact on how you feel as well as how you act outside of the office.
One of
the best indicators of the impact your work is having on you is how you react
to situations in your family. The reactions and comments by your spouse and
children are a good mirror for what is going on inside of you due to work
stress. Are you less in touch with the emotions and feelings of your family? Do
you find yourself more results driven and less patient with your children at
home? Phrases like, “Just do what I ask and don’t give me any lip,” or “Why
won’t you talk to me anymore?” may indicate that you haven’t changed for the
better.
When we
are used to working with adults and basing our reactions on the performance of
employees, it can be difficult to turn the switch to loving parent and spouse
when we get home. Children and adolescents just don’t understand performance
metrics, following policies and looking for ways to cut costs. I have learned
that your productivity or business success means very little if at the end of
the day those who should be close to you are distant or even damaged by changes
to your personality.
The
human brain is dynamic, not static; it is constantly changing. Excitement and
depression are two sides of the same coin. We must deal with both. The Inc.
article suggests that entrepreneurship doesn’t change people as much as it
reveals their true personalities. It seems that for a long time I rode the
entrepreneurial wave of enthusiasm. The tsunami is now subsiding, leaving me
striving to keep from being washed back out to sea. My thrills today tend to
rest more on those around me and how they are carrying on the mantle which I
once thrived.
If we
are honest, many entrepreneurs have too much of their identity as a person
wrapped up in their work life. Meg Cadoux Hirshberg wrote in the Inc. article,
“I would hazard that adverse personality effects are especially apparent in
those who have long cherished the idea of entrepreneurship as salvation, the
things they were meant to do and finally would do that would lift them above
the discontents of their normal lives.” I have to admit a touch of guilt in
this arena. Over the years, time has worn away the magic and the dream.
While
working with the industry has driven much of my personality, it has probably
made me more difficult for those I love to live with day in and day out. Just
ask my wife Carolyn and two sons Scott and Chaille. They know the truth of how
working so many long hours has impacted me. I know that the love of my family
has sustained me and provided the energy to accomplish whatever has been
achieved. Many of my industry friends have shared similar experiences.
So,
here are the life rhythms that I am trying to follow to make my work life
better.
1.)
Don’t take yourself too seriously. Being able to laugh at yourself, especially
your mistakes or blunders, is healthy and necessary to keep from becoming too
critical.
2.)
Don’t worry about things beyond your control. Instead focus on fixing things
that you can impact. There are many macro events taking place in the world
today that are easy to worry about. But that will do you little good. I am
putting my energies on making small changes that can make our products and
organization better.
3.)
Think about the kind of person I want to be at work and home, and then focus on
doing things to make that change occur. I want to be remembered as somebody who
is positive. So I have been trying to focus more on the positives and champion
those instead of always pointing out the things that aren’t working. As a boss,
I have to balance this with the need to fix problems. But even in doing that,
you can take a negative or positive tone in handling business and personal life
challenges.
4.)
Pray, pray, pray. I believe in the power of prayer and have focused more time
doing that as I get older. Something happens inside of me as I pray about
situations instead of worry about them.
5.)
Relying on others more has become a necessity as I get older. Most smart
business people know the value of delegating non-core functions to other
employees. This can be hard to do, but it is critical to the growth of any
company. It may take more time to involve others initially, but in the end it
will be a time saver as well as a benefit to your company.
If you
haven’t stopped to think about the issue explored in this column, you should
set aside some time this week to ponder how your work experience is impacting
your life. Don’t wait. Add an hour of reflection to your busy schedule right
now. Trust me – you will eventually be
glad that you did.
