Marriage and entrepreneurship have more in common than you think

You might be thinking, what does that even mean?

Marriage is personal.

Entrepreneurship is business.

But let me tell you, they share a lot more than you might think

Let’s start by talking about what each of them mean

Marriage = The legal union between two people, bringing together two to form the partnership of one.

Entrepreneurship = The union of life and business, a way of life where you take on risk for a potential gain.

In both cases, you take risks for a potential gain, it’s a union between two things, and it’s in pursuit of something greater than just yourself.

It’s a bond, a commitment, one that changes you in so many ways, and I’ve felt this because I’ve been in relationships, and I’ve been single while being an entrepreneur, and it’s fascinating to learn what it teaches you about yourself.

The question that I sometimes ask myself surrounding this topic is, how can I become a better version of myself to improve this relationship?

Not just a romantic relationship, but with friends, family, and the one I have with my business.

Here are 4 things that every relationship, including entrepreneurship needs.

1. Healthy Boundaries

It’s our responsibility to set boundaries in everything that we do, to protect our peace, and to give focus and energy to what matters most. To improve anything, you have to prioritize what matters, and we can care and do anything, but we can’t do everything. Communicating healthy boundaries and establishing them so you can be more intentional is a great way of preventing burnout, and not feeling like you are stuck and stagnant. 

2. Effective Communication

It’s hard to communicate a vision, values, or boundaries if you aren’t effective with your communication. That’s not just intelligence, or being able to put the bottom line up front. It’s also about empathy, and understanding that you're working with people, who aren’t rational actors. It’s being able to be flexible and adaptable to the situation.

3. Clarity On Vision

As Seneca says, “No wind is favorable to the sailor who knows not which port he sails to.” It’s extremely important to know where you are looking or called to go because that is your north star, your guiding compass, and it allows you to communicate better with others about where you are looking to go, and if they feel aligned or called to your vision.

4. The Ability To Have Faith

The world is an uncertain place that has a lot of risks, and sometimes you won’t know if you made the right choice for months, maybe years, and in those moments it’s about having faith. Faith is trust in the unknown, in what cannot be seen. It’s about having faith in yourself, faith in the process, and faith in a higher power, be it universal energy or a god. Without faith, we can’t have hope, and the world becomes a much darker place if we lose hope.