Yesterday I had a meeting with my business partner who just came back from his holiday. And I was about to tell him something that I knew he was not going to like. But he’s my partner so it also felt as though I had an obligation to tell him what was on my mind.
In the past we’ve talked about tough personal circumstances and how that influences your work. Sometimes they make you work harder, at other times it has a negative impact on your work and commitment. But we talked about these things nonetheless, and it would seem as though this was just another case. Yet it wasn’t.
I was about to tell my business partner that I had lost my motivation somewhere in the last months. I had lost it and I wasn’t sure whether it was due to certain personal circumstances or that it was the fact that we’ve been working on our current project for almost a year now and it is getting old.
Somehow I felt guilty, which was a really weird feeling, because I also felt I had done nothing wrong…
Courage
What I had to do was show courage. I had to scrape together the courage I needed to tell him that I wasn’t completely happy with the place I am in. This took a lot of courage, I can ensure you. The problem was, that it would have been easier to put my feelings aside and just continue. Yet, in the end that would result in me being unhappy, which is the opposite of my number 1 goal in life. So I scraped together all the courage I needed and I told him, in as gentle words as I could find.
Although a relief, there is a very unarming feeling about telling such a thing to someone. I can advice you to do the same if you find yourself in a similar situation, as I believe this is the only way to build trust. You will just have to get through the rough to get to the good.
Consideration
When receiving the news my business partner was at first surprised. But he did understand it, since he has also noticed my motivation being less than what it was. So he tried to peptalk me, which I found a great response. It wasn’t actually what I wanted to hear, but I could sense he was trying to understand me. He was trying to explain in his words that he understood. He was showing consideration.
He could easily have become mad, but that wouldn’t have helped the case. Even though he was uneasy with this thought, he truly tried to think from my perspective. I am very greatful to have such an insightful business partner, as I think most people would have quite easily be outraged. The main reason behind his reaction is the great amount of trust that we have built over the past years.
The road ahead
As I was writing this post I was actually not sure whether I should post it, so I postponed it a few days. I have had a very enlightening talk about the situation with my personal coach, which has helped me to understand even more how important it is that I said what I truly want. Because in the end, I am the one responsible for my life. No one else.
The next few weeks will be my holiday, which will give me a lot of time to reflect on the situation. But deep in my heart I already know what I must do and how I must do it. Because it feels right. Because it is in line with the things I believe in. Because it is me.
Mon, Aug 31, 2009
Becoming Successful, Entrepreneurship, Self Improvement