Some Common Sense Advice to Make You a Stronger Laundry Owner – And a Better Person
Believe it or not – there is a strong relationship between the behavior patterns of your personal life and your business life.
Although there are several different ways to measure success, all of us want to feel good about our lives at the end of the day. The problem is that what makes us happy varies from person to person, so there is not one definitive answer for reaching this goal.
However, I have some suggestions that will definitely help you.
My belief is that, if you live a meaningful personal life, it will transfer over to your business life, and to additional business success. That’s an admirable goal, right?
Does having a 90-inch television make you happy? What about a new Mercedes? Sure. Of course they do, when you first get them. But happiness gained from a collection of material things often isn’t very long-lasting. A better way to measure success is whether or not you have contributed positively to the world around you and to the people you encounter in it.
Live beneath your means.
Surely, you’ve noticed that we live in a world where we are constantly pressured through advertising (which is quite often misleading) into buying more and more “stuff?” Because of this, many may begin to fall deeper and deeper into financial debt, just to show off the things they own.
Therefore, living beneath your means is one of the simplest and most effective ways to live a happy and meaningful life. When we aren’t trying to keep up with the Joneses, we’re able to focus on what’s really important to us and what will bring us true happiness.
Stop blaming others – including your business competitors – for your problems.
As legendary college basketball coach John Wooden once said, “You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes.”
Out of all the things we can spend our time and energy doing, blaming other people for our misfortune is definitely one of the least-productive activities in which we can engage. We have all had things happen in our personal and business lives that we didn’t particularly enjoy. And we’ve all been guilty of blaming others at some point in our lives, and it can be a difficult habit to break.
You can start by taking an honest look at the personal and business life you are leading right now. Be aware that, when you start blaming others in business and in life in general, it will prevent you from truly taking responsibility for your own actions.
And, by doing so, you’re not only hurting the people around you (especially in your personal life), but you’re also preventing yourself from making changes that will lead to a happier and more productive life.
Listen more, talk less.
Another terrific suggestion is to take the time and devote some interest in listening more closely to others – at your laundry business and at home.
If you’re willing to listen more, it shows respect – which, in turn, creates better relationships, both personal and within your business operations. And, when you listen more, others will be more inclined to listen to you when needed.
You might be surprised how much you can learn from someone else, such as a laundromat attendant. What’s more, when you do speak, make certain that you’re respectful of others and offer a voice that adds to the discussion, rather than serving to derail it.
Do something nice – and try not to get caught.
The philosopher Aesop wrote: “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” A random act of kindness goes a long way, again both in your personal life and with regard to the ownership of your laundromat business.
For someone else, it may put a smile on their face. For you, it will prove to yourself that you’re capable of doing nice things without expecting anything in return.
Above all, once you have done something kind for someone, don’t be tempted to shout from the rooftops how nice you are or what a great thing you’ve done. (Interestingly, I’ve noticed that individuals who donate large sums of money to such places as hospitals rarely do so anonymously.)
When you do something nice, it’s important to be modest and humble about it. You don’t want to be that person who is constantly in search of validation in the form of “likes” and “shares.”
By contrast, I suggest you focus on doing good deeds for others without expecting anything in return. Let the reason you have done something nice be that it was the right thing to do, and not merely for the positive attention it can bring you and your business.
Be kind to unkind people.
Be kind to unkind people, because they need it the most. In your life, you just might come across those who are rather unkind, but that doesn’t mean you should treat them in the same manner.
If some people are not nice, it very likely could be because they have suffered something that has made them act this way. You never know what others are going through, so try to treat everyone the same way – which is the way you would like to be treated yourself.
Even if you don’t have a great relationship with someone, you can still act respectfully and courteously toward them. It’s important not to lower yourself to that person’s level.
Take the time to be alone.
Oprah Winfrey once said, “Being alone is when I distance myself from the voices of the world so that I can hear my own.”
Being alone can be quite beneficial. Spending time with yourself, especially if you tend to avoid it, will allow you to reflect on your business and personal life and to approach situations more logically.
Spending time alone will let you sort through your thoughts without any outside influence. This means that you won’t have to deal with the clutter of other people’s thoughts, opinions, and biases.
We typically spend time with others to get to know them better, so why not take some time to be alone so that you can get to know yourself – as a business owner and a person – a little bit better?
Realize that life simply is not fair.
Actor David Hasselhoff shared his perspective on life, when he said: “When you realize that life isn’t fair, you don’t act out, you don’t get overly upset, and you don’t get self-indulgent – you just move forward.”
Life is short, for sure. It’s fragile. Nobody will escape death – no matter how rich or happy you are in life.
And life will always have its surprises for us. The playing field is never level for any length of time. The sooner you realize and accept the fact that life is not fair and that it’s full of little (and not so little) deal-breakers, the easier it will be to accept the challenges and curveballs it throws your way.
When you accept that your business and personal lives are unfair, you can come to terms with any challenges you may face in your life. Remember not to let these challenging times take control of your happiness. Just keep pushing forward until you’ve overcome them.
Always be on time.
Does this seem like a small thing? Well, think again… because it’s not. Someone once said that punctuality is about being on time, as well as showing respect for your own commitments. Being on time sends a message. Of course, so does being late.
Nobody likes to be kept waiting, and it’s definitely disrespectful to show up late for a business meeting or social engagement. Other people’s time, as well as yours, is valuable and should be respected. If you are often running behind, it may be due to your lack of organizational skills or the fact that you don’t manage your time properly – so get started on fixing this issue.
After all, if you’re constantly late, others may begin to distance themselves from you. Show up on time, and others most likely will do the same for you.
When you make a mistake, admit it.
Be humble enough to see your mistakes, courageous enough to admit them, and wise enough to correct them. We all make mistakes. I have never met a perfect person yet.
When you make a mistake, it’s important to own up to it right away. By admitting your wrongdoing not only are you saving yourself from future heartache and further hurt, but you also are helping the people around you in your business or your personal life understand exactly what happened.
Go an entire day without criticizing anyone.
I find that it’s much more valuable to look for the strengths in others. After all, there is nothing to be gained by criticizing their imperfections.
It seems as though many of us are quick to criticize others for doing something wrong (at least in our opinion), or even for just being themselves. We need to stop looking at the world in terms of “good” and “bad.” For the most part, people are simply doing what they believe is right.
Going an entire day without criticizing someone is a sure-fire way to improve the happiness in both your personal and business lives. Of course, it’s OK for you to be unhappy with certain circumstances, but when you openly criticize others, it hurts people.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Noted psychologist Richard Carlson’s best-selling book is entitled, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, And It’s All Small Stuff.”
And it’s so true. We often get caught up in the little irritating details of our businesses and our lives – and we forget or are then enable to enjoy the bigger, more important aspects of our lives. We all need to stop worrying about small, inconsequential things, and appreciate just how lucky we really are.
While you shouldn’t ignore little problems, at the same time, when they arise, try not to let them get you down. Realize that there are bigger problems in the world. So stop sweating the minutiae.
Let someone cut in front of you in line.
This may seems insignificant, but the ramifications most certainly are not. This small act of kindness could mean so much more to someone else than you can imagine. The next time you’re waiting in line for something, just let someone go ahead of you – especially is you’re at the supermarket and have full shopping cart, while the person behind you may have just a couple of items.
Doing something as simple as this, could actually make someone’s entire day, and you will be surprised by the difference such a small act has on others. For instance, that one person you let ahead of you in line could be so happy about it that he or she then does something equally nice for another stranger, and so on.
If you haven’t figured it out by now, the entire theme of this column has been demonstrate that, if you improve yourself on a personal level, it will show itself in your behaviors when managing your laundry business. And, in the long run, it will improve your bottom line. Plus, you will cultivate more friends and set some great examples for your kids.
So, the simple formula for a happy personal and business life meshed together is just that – simple. It’s about finding the courage to live your own truth, deepen your self-awareness, and cultivate a healthy mindfulness by living in the moment. It’s about finding the time to objectively evaluate where you are now and accept your past negative events, as long as they don’t define who you are now.
I happen to know someone who – when he is not working at his business – is an absolute delight to be around. However, when “in the office,” don’t go anywhere near him. Although he has a lot of personal friends, the same cannot be said within his business world.
Am I describing you? I hope not. However, I know I’m describing many people – some of them laundromat owners. Do you know any of them?
I guarantee you that living a meaningful and improved personal life will carry over into how you manage your laundromat. Yes, it takes some effort, but I urge you to think about it. Deeply!
