They key to business success is having a solid relationship at home that you can count on.
When we see prominent people, people who are successful in their career path, business owners, politicians; people at the top of their game and winning at life, we tend to respect and admire them simply for being successful.
We only see them in the spotlight; winning awards and receiving kudos for their successes.
What we don’t see are the hours they spend grinding it out, getting up early, staying up late, traveling far from home; all the steps they had to take to reach this pinnacle of accomplishment. We don’t see their support system; their friends, families or their partners that say, “Go be successful. I’ve got your back.”
There used to be a saying, “The woman behind the man”. These days it’s probably more accurate to say, the partner behind the success. No one person can truly do it alone, and if you have a single-minded goal to be a success in your field, that’s great, but life is meant to be shared. It certainly can be lonely at the top, and if you’ve made success or money your only goal, you’re missing out on the beauty and love that having a partner to share your success with will bring to you.
Having a partner to love and support; who loves and supports you the same, will motivate you far more than money and prestige ever will. I’m not talking only about financial support, as you will see.
The key to sustainable business success is your relationship at home. When you have a partner, a support system, a person that you can count on, that you know has your back, it changes the game for you personally and professionally. It lifts the burdens of stress and care, you don’t have to juggle everything and worry constantly about dropping one of the million plates you are trying to keep in the air.
Having a partner means that you can share those burdens with another strong person, someone you can trust to have your best interests at heart; someone who wants you to succeed as much as you. This frees you to pursue your dreams and goals knowing you are loved and you have someone in your corner rooting for you.
The benefits for a business professional of having a good relationship at home are:
Self Confidence
One of the intangible benefits to having a good relationship at home is the self-confidence it instills. The professional world can be brutal and cutthroat. You can’t be timid about clawing your way to the top. When you know your partner thinks the world of you; believes in you and thinks you’re one of the most special people in the world; that gives you a measure of confidence to reach higher and to push harder.
Security
As a business professional, you’re concerned about security. Whether it’s your computer system, your bank, your home or your office building, you need to know that everything is secure. When you have a partner that you’re making a life with, building your home, your family and your dreams, you lose the fear and insecurity. You feel secure in the knowledge that this person has your back and that they are behind the scenes making sure that your home and your heart are secure. They are supporting you in a million different ways every day. Even a phone call, hearing your partner’s voice mid-day, will help you to continue on your course without fear. Simply knowing they are there is like a warm blanket on a cold night.
A listening ear
To say business is stressful is a huge understatement! Many busy professionals go to regular counseling just to have someone to talk to about the cares of their week. When you have a partner at home, you might not need counseling (I DO recommend it though). Your partner is there to share your journey and listen to your stories; your concerns, your hopes and dreams, and you’ll do the same for them. You can talk to your partner about everything. You can get a fresh perspective and have someone you can rely on to tell you the truth.
When you’re the boss or CEO you can’t always be certain that subordinates are being authentic, or simply telling you what you want to hear. Your partner can be counted on to be honest with you, even when it’s unpleasant.
Supporting your dreams
To be at the top of your chosen profession means to work hard and dream big. You know what you want your future to look like and you are working hard to make that happen. Your dreams can seem crazy and even impossible to others, but you ignore that and follow them even when others warn against it, or it looks like you might not be able to achieve what you’re aiming for.
Having a partner to share and support you in reaching for the stars means not only are you motivated and validated, but you also have someone to share that dream and your successes when you achieve your goals. That person saying, “Go be successful, I’ve got your back”, gives you the courage to do what looks impossible and make it happen.
Adapting to changes
A supportive and loving partner will encourage you to do what’s needed to achieve your goals. Sometimes that means you are going to college for an advanced degree, traveling, or changing jobs every few years as you position yourself for your career. Your partner will roll with the changes and continue to encourage you. They will keep the household together, take care of home and kids and make sure everything is well taken care of.
Your relationship will grow stronger as you face times of adversity and hardship together. Once you’ve reached your professional goals, you’ll be even more appreciative of your partner’s support as you look back on the times they encouraged you and supported you through all the changes over the years. That also means picking up the pieces when things go wrong, when it doesn’t work out; supporting each other through the failures and mistakes, the hard times and the good.
Loving acceptance and compassion
A successful business professional may have friends from before they were successful, but the people that come into their lives afterwards are always suspect; at least at first. It’s hard not to wonder if they like you or your position. “Is this person being authentic or working me for what I can do for them? “That’s a terrible and uncertain feeling, not to be able to trust people. You always have to wonder if they’re really being authentic. When you have good relationship at home, you know that you have someone who loves you for you. That they knew you “when” and you need have no doubt that this person loves and cares about you and only wants you for the person you truly are.
Having that one person in your life that loves you; feels compassion for you and truly has your back is a gift and a joy. It takes a special person to be with someone who’s driven by success, and is ambitiously chasing a dream. If you find that person who is going to come alongside and support you, help you behind the scenes and build you up and encourage you daily in following your dream; you’re a very lucky person. Don’t fail to show appreciation and acknowledge all they do for you. Never take it for granted, and let your partner know that you’re willing to do the very same for them. Sharing your successes makes life richer in every way.
Stuart Fensterheim, LCSW helps couples to overcome the disconnection in their relationships As an author, blogger and podcaster, Stuart has helped couples around the world to experience a unique relationship in which they can feel special and important, confident in knowing they are loved deeply and that their presence matters.
