Be careful, it's addictive!

Whatever you do for a living (and in life), it should bring you so much joy that you simply can't leave it alone. Particularly if you are self employed. The irresistibility of what you do should bring you back to your work with delight and excitement every day.

Be careful, it's addictive!

I was compering a large corporate event a while back, playing host, MC and delivering the final keynote. The Founder and Managing Director of the company I was speaking for was, himself, a highly gifted and entertaining speaker, so his was an opinion I both valued and trusted.

He grabbed me coming off stage as we broke for lunch, and smiled:

Him: "You really love being up there don't you?"

Me: "I really do"

Him: "You've got the crowd going - they love you. You really are very good at this."

Me: "Thank you"

Him: "Be careful, it's addictive!"

It was a strange thing to say (well, it felt strange at the time). I have pondered it many times since. Was it a warning about the 'thrill of the crowd'? Like so many actors and comedians we read about, the need to be 'loved' can be a dangerous and damaging game to play...

Maybe. Except, for me, it was never about 'being loved'...

I have actually chosen to make 'addiction' a positive decision and direction for my business. I want to do things that excite and delight me so much, that I look forward to doing them again tomorrow, and the next day.

When you are your own boss, why would you NOT focus on the things that continually give you that warm 'Ready Brek' glow of satisfaction?

His warning came with some merit of course. Only doing what you love (not what you're good at, what the world needs or what pays the bills) might not be enough to keep you on the right trajectory for your 'Big Business Wish' to come true. We all have to dip our toes into 'work work' in order to keep the ship afloat. Plus 'addiction' is a word that carries many connotations - mostly unhealthy.

Find your 'joy'

But if you can balance (or reframe) addiction into a positive, actionable passion... might that be a starting point for your next big success?

What is your business addiction? What both serves your business and sets you alight? Let me know in the comments below.