Coaching business owners can feel a lot like marriage counseling. 

I get the frustrations. I know what it’s like to be an owner who wakes up and thinks, “I don’t want to do this job anymore. I don’t like my choices and feel constrained by my options.”

Often these difficulties and the lack of motivation creep in because we’ve stopped loving the business like we used to. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up on the company. 

As I work with an owner, we go through a process to learn to be effective again. It doesn’t happen instantaneously. It might even get worse before it gets better. There’s often an escalation of aggravation as business owners try new approaches that don’t succeed as intended. 

Typically, these frustrations indicate a mindset problem. The owner is focused on the ideal business they think they’ll never have. Consequently, they’re not focusing on the business they already have. 

No, your business may not be ideal (just as marriages aren’t ideal). But your business can still be great. 

Our businesses begin to improve as we learn to love them again. If you’re not sure how to cultivate the same care you once had for your company, here’s a good place to start. 

1. Recognize Strong Decisions

We can start learning to love our company again by recognizing our strong decisions. 

Strong decisions give us confidence and confidence leads to joy and optimism. When I start working with business owners who have lost their passion for their business, I start by pointing out when they get it right. Look for times when you can say, “That was a strong decision. That’s going to make a difference and here’s how it will affect the business.” 

One good decision isn’t going to instantly produce happiness. But as strong decisions accumulate, we’ll start to see the significance of our choices. Soon, the confidence, joy, and optimism will start to add up. 

2. Re-Embrace Risk

You’re no stranger to risk. You started your company as an entrepreneur, and that takes guts. But on day #2, you became a business person dealing with bills and deadlines. Your tolerance for risk declined over time and you don’t take the chances you used to. 

It’s time to re-embrace risk. Start by recognizing that you have more choices for success than chances of failure. If you have three choices, you have three chances to succeed. Most choices aren’t a win-lose situation. You probably have three possible wins for every one possible loss. 

Embrace more risk, knowing the odds are in your favor. As you do, you may start to feel the excitement that new challenges and choices bring. 

3. Share Credit 

Sharing credit with others is another way to cultivate a love for your company again. Think of yourself as a parent to your company. Who doesn’t want their kid to get a win?! 

Set up your employees for success. Look for ways to enable other people to do what they’re good at. 

Sharing credit goes beyond acknowledging that someone did something well. Sharing credit is about giving someone else the opportunity to put the proverbial cherry on top. Let someone else do what you could have done yourself. Let them have the win, enjoy the celebration, and be the person that crosses the finish line.

Take credit for as few wins as you can. 

When we love our businesses, our companies are more effective and we’re happier in our work. You may not run the ideal business, but your company can still be great. 

Build your confidence with strong decisions, brave the risks, and share the credit. If you’ve lost the love for your business, it’s never too late to start cultivating it again.