You know when you’re starting a small business and suddenly, it gets hard? We’ve all been through it – the intense excitement, telling everyone about your idea, looking into the market, doing a ton of planning – and then coming up against roadblock after roadblock.

Enter polyamory.

In polyamorous relationships, they have this term: NRE. New Relationship Energy. It’s that excitement you feel when you meet someone new, and it’s a thing that a lot of people seem to chase (polyamorous or not). NRE wearing off is the cause of a lot of breakups, both poly and monogamous. Suddenly you’re tired of your partner’s shit and their jokes just aren’t as funny anymore. We’ve all seen it.

That in mind, let’s talk about what makes a relationship last.

Again, we’ve all seen it – it’s two people who are so committed to the relationship that they work through the hard things and intentionally keep the ‘spark’ alive. After ten years, they still go on dates. They try new things together. They maintain boundaries and do things apart. They come up against really hard times, and they know that working through them will lead to more good times.

NRE is so addictive because for those first ~2 years, the relationship doesn’t feel like work. This is a lot like the ‘dreaming’ stage of building a business. You think up an incredible idea that you’re 100% sure is “it.” You make a bit of forward progress on it, and you’re just SO EXCITED about the whole thing. You’re in the middle of building a website and getting business cards printed…then you talk to someone unsupportive. You’re discouraged. You slack off for a week. Something gets you moving forward again, but you run into another obstacle – maybe sourcing your product is harder than you thought, or maybe you keep getting rejected by potential clients.

 

You’re not experiencing too many wins lately, and your enthusiasm is wearing off.

You still believe in the idea, but you’re doing less and less work that moves you forward.

 

One day you’re driving to the store and suddenly, you come up with the idea that will be your life’s work! You are SO SURE of this – it is perfect! You buy a domain name, you start the process, and this time it’s easier because you already know these steps. You’re just starting to look into product creation when again, things start to slow down. You’re discouraged. You know what comes next.

I’m here to argue that falling in love is for idiots.

DON’T fall in love with your idea. Intentionally avoid it. Avoid the new relationship energy – at least until you know the business is one you can commit to. 

“Ponder a long time whether you shall admit a given person to your friendship; but when you have decided to admit him, welcome him with all your heart and soul.”

– Seneca

The same applies to any relationship, be it marriage or small business. Yes, you are in a relationship with your small business. Take the same care in choosing and accepting a business idea as you would in choosing and accepting a life partner. Your emotions deserve consideration, but they don’t get to decide for you.

How will you know?

Find the problems and figure out if you’re willing to accept them. Dig into the daily tasks of this business and find the ones you absolutely HATE doing. You have to be willing to do the most onerous things daily. Just like a partner’s annoying habits, you either find a way to work around them or you accept them.

So, is your idea worth it?

For help with this determination, think about coaching with Professional Catalyst. Together, we work to pick your small business idea apart, figuring out potential issues prior to beginning the business. 

We also work to determine the “why” behind your drive to start your business. The Professional Catalyst process is values-based, building your business on an exceptionally strong foundation that will withstand the issues you face.

 

“If we have our own why in life, we shall get along with almost any how.”

-Neitzsche

How will you get there?

Why are you going?


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