Are We Having Fun Yet?

Here is the thing - all of us went out on a limb when we started our own businesses...

We had our reasons, and they are as varied as the number of businesses that have been started! To have control of your time, to control your income, to be able to work from home, to earn income from your creativity, to earn income from your own efforts, to not have to report to "the man," to not have to punch a clock, to not have to meet other's benchmarks or quotas... The list goes on endlessly!

Hopefully you had a desire to have fun, and hopefully adding an element of fun into your life was one of the many reasons that you took the leap of faith and started your own business.

My question to you today is this - are you having fun yet?

What is the most fun you've had in your business this year?

• Did something set you to laughing with a customer, a product inquiry, a comment or a goofy look?
• Did a situation as you completed an order get you to crack up?
• Did you share a joke with the mail person or UPS driver?
• Do you have someone at work that is always able to lighten the mood?
• Was there an interaction with a supplier on the phone that made you laugh?
• Did the shop pet's antics get people to chuckle?

Right now, pause for a moment to appreciate the fun that has happened in your work life over the past year. And going forward, when something fun or funny happens, pause to enjoy and appreciate these moments.

The moments here at the NNEP that make us smile often include the office critters, Princess the cat (NNEP's full-time resident), and Callie, a little 15-pound fluffy mutt that comes to work with me daily. And then there the conversations with our NNEP members, which are hilarious once in a while. We have a great mail carrier and UPS driver, both of which usually brighten our days.

We are the captains of our fate as business owners, and that can add a lot of stress, responsibility, rewards, chaos and risks to our lives. I would love to know that you are also having fun in your business -

Because if you are not having fun, you are probably not doing it right!

Post an example below or email me at jennifer@nnep.com.