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talk about in entrepreneurial hallways, but Ms. Dickinson doesn t shy away from t
ackling how being an entrepreneur can wreak havoc with friendships, marriages, a
nd relationships in general. The best defense going in is anticipation and prepa
ration. For example, she suggests that the biggest threat to an entrepreneur s mar
riage will be absence. So often an entrepreneur is at work, thinking about work,
dreaming up new work, or seeking new work. Even if they are physically present,
their mind may be still on the work and the cell phone will become an appendage
. What to do? Recognize that this is the lifestyle of an entrepreneur and talk a
bout how life will change for both of you if you embark on this path. Remember t
hat you aren t the only one on this wild and crazy rollercoaster ride. Be very sur
e you want it.
Gem #2
There is no work/life balance
"You get to have a love affair, instead: with your work and your life as a whole
."
- All In, page 75
All of us recognize that life is busy. We feel it. We don t have a lot of extra ti
me just dangling from the ceiling waiting to find a purpose. There is a tremendo
us amount of pressure to achieve this thing called work /life balance. Arlene Dick
inson says, in her charmingly blunt way, that it doesn t exist so stop feeling gui
lty about it. It took her many years to come to terms with this but it was very
freeing once she did. She advises that you give yourself permission to see your
work as a creative expression of who you are and that you love it. Once you give
yourself this permission you can then find ways to incorporate your family, fri
ends, and interests into your business life. Accept that life will be messy. Mak
e being present wherever you are a priority. Find a way to be reliably, consiste
ntly reachable to those who need you at home no matter the time zone you are in.
Celebrate the fact that this thing you call work is so completely what you want
to be doing that you don t distinguish between it and your life. Most people are
doing work they would never consider fulfilling if it was their entire life. Not
so for the entrepreneur. This for them is the Holy Grail; the whole reason why
they left their day job in the first place, to achieve the freedom to combine th
eir work and life.
ABOUT BARB BRITTAIN-MARSHALL
Barb Brittain-Marshall is addicted to reading. Seriously, it has become a bit of
a problem. Stacks of books clutter her home. She fears an intervention is close
at hand...
THE AUTHOR
Arlene
Arlene Dickinson
Arlene Dickinson is one of Canada s most renowned independent marketing communicat
ions entrepreneurs. After becoming a partner in Venture...