When Businesses Grow Up

I was surprised to see the amount of traction a particular tweet got this week.

It said something to the tune of, “The secret to success is doing the things you NEED to do, not the things you WANT to do.”

We live in an era where this sort of advice is transformative, garnering huge numbers of retweets and comments appreciating the concept.

Entrepreneurs and companies who ride the wave of picture quotes preaching ‘hustle’ often appear to celebrate the idea of comfortable busywork done over many long hours, rather than the discipline of getting real work done. Things you didn’t want to do. Just like you had to do at the cubicle job you quit in order to do this.

There’s a better way.

We find it by looking past the “what” in the picture quotes we see. Past the “how” in the blog posts we read. We find it in the “why” behind “what” we do or “how” we do it that really makes real work worth it. It makes real work meaningful.

Meaningful work is seldom glamorous, usually no more so than the aforementioned cubicle job you may have left behind. But meaningful work is done not because we’re in the right mood for it, or for how it makes us feel, but simply because of the meaning it carries – the “why” behind the “what”. No task is too arduous if it moves you – and those you serve alongside – toward a greater goal of contribution and impact.

A business owner – or team member – grows up when he/she understands this valuable distinction. If you’ve already learned it, well done. If this is new for you, congratulations, you’ve come of age.

If you still haven’t learned after reading this, please scroll up and try again.