Thanksgiving…
When I was young, Thanksgiving was about turkey, getting out of school for a couple of days and the sign that the Christmas season was starting. It took a while for me to really appreciate the idea and the importance of being thankful for where I am and what I’ve got.
With that in mind, as a business owner I’ve got a different perspective than I would have had in previous years. Here are some of the things I’m thankful for now:
- My clients: I really enjoy and appreciate working with people that are smart, interested in learning new things and trying to accomplish big things. My clients all have these characteristics and more! This was why I wanted to get into this business and it’s been great. The next step is to get more great clients like the ones I’ve got now…!
- Freedom: I’m probably working as many or more hours than I’ve worked in the past (and in consulting you work some long hours) but I’ve got the flexibility to set my schedule and my priorities. If I need to coach Connor’s soccer team at 4:30 on Thursday – that’s up to me…and only me! I love being able to go to the gym on a regular basis during the day just because I can fit it into my schedule.
- Challenges and creativity: There’s a lot of things you have to do when you’re the only one wearing all the hats. Although I’m not a big fan of the bookkeeping and accounting, I have found out that I enjoy the marketing side of things. I enjoy writing this blog. I enjoy creating flyers or web pages and although I’ve got a long, long way to go before I’m really good at it, it’s been a blast to learn new things! I’ll make mistakes along the way, but they are my mistakes and I learn from them and move on.
- My Family: I’m extremely lucky to have a great wife with a successful career that allows me the time and the financial means to get a start-up business off the ground. It hasn’t been easy, but she has really stepped up and made it work.
- To Live here and now: There are lots of terrible things going on in the world today (just watch the news – which seems to revel in fear and bad news). But this is also the most amazing time in terms of great things that are achieved almost every day. Look at the advances in technology, medicine, education…the list goes on and on. We are living things that people couldn’t even imagine 30 years ago. Yes these are ‘interesting times’, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything!
What are you thankful for? What do you love about your business? About your life? Share it here or share it with your loved ones, but make sure you spend at least a little post-turkey time thinking about it!
So with that, I’d like to leave you with Best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. I know this isn’t a turkey, but it is a funny bird…!
Shawn Kinkade www.aspirekc.com