Being married while being an entrepreneur
The growth of your business presents a challenge to your marriage. Running a successful enterprise calls for you to fully commit to working. However, the great news is you can salvage your marriage. But it would be best if you also spotted the challenges early enough so you can put in measures to make things right. So, what causes strained marriages for entrepreneurs?
Causes of strained marriages
There are numerous causes of discord in an entrepreneur’s marriage. Below are the reasons why many entrepreneurs face marital problems.
Ø Too much emphasis on the business
As a married entrepreneur, your partner requires attention. However, most entrepreneurs spend most of their time tending to their business. The less time you spend with your partner sows’ seeds of disharmony and the bonds that hold your marriage together start to break.
Ø Jealousy
Most partners become jealous once the spouse eclipses their income. This trend is popular among men whose wives are successful entrepreneurs. Most men believe that they should earn more than their wives, and once they can no longer keep up, they may try to sabotage the business or end the marriage.
Ø Pride
Money can easily change one’s personality. Most marriages have failed due to pride in the successful spouse. Some entrepreneurs may feel like they no longer love their spouses any more because they cannot match their income. In the long run, the marriage starts falling apart slowly until it reaches a point of no return.
How to save your marriage
The easiest way to keep your marriage intact is to mend fences as soon as you notice things are not all rosy. Most entrepreneurs wait until it is too late when there is nothing to salvage. Herein tips to help you work on your marriage.
1. Negotiate
Negotiating is all about having a conversation with your spouse and reaching a compromise. Unfortunately, most couples suffer poor communication skills hence making negotiations difficult. Successful negotiations call for the couple to be open in their communication and be willing to listen. To negotiate successfully follow these guidelines:
· The relationship should be the top priority and keep the conversation respectful
· Ensure you satisfy the desires and interests of both sides.
· Listen keenly and try to understand your spouse
2. Stick to your word
Once you have had a successful negotiation and come up with a raft of rules, be sure to stick by them. Keeping your word is a sign of commitment, and this proves that you are honest about keeping the relationship intact.
3. Take time to study the relationship
Your partner does not have to tell you things are thick so that you can fix them. There are always indicators when things start falling apart. Be sure to read between the lines and analyze the situation so that you can start working on fixing things before issues escalate.
4. Make follow-ups
Once you have started working on your marriage, you must hold follow up meetings to check the progress. Follow up meetings act as a reminder that you are still in the process of building a solid marriage. Moreover, follow up meetings help address emerging issues and improve your communication structure.
5. Develop a reward system
Meeting milestones in the journey of fixing your marriage calls for a celebration. Make it a habit that you spend time to celebrate with your spouse once you hit milestones you have agreed on. This move allows you to spend quality time with your spouse; hence you strengthen your marriage bonds.
6. Don’t give up
Fixing your marriage is not a walk in the park. Issues will always arise, and the only way to achieve your goals is to stay put. Saving your marriage requires a combined effort which inspires the urge to keep moving. When you encounter challenges in your quest to save your marriage, take some time to agree on new strategies with your spouse.
Conclusion
The marriage life of an entrepreneur is not easy. With the minimal time the couple spends together and increase in income, problems are inevitable. Nevertheless, you should be committed to keeping your marriage intact by avoiding the distractions. The best way to keep your marriage alive is by involving your spouse in every decision-making process and work as a team!