Entrepreneurs are people, just like everyone else. A good sex life is as important as a lot of other things we focus on. What keeps us healthy and happy can make us better in business.
Whether you're in a relationship, enjoying the single life or looking to meet someone special, it's important to set yourself up for success by paying attention to the little things that drive big results in your sex life.
Here are three things you can do to make your dating life fit seamlessly with your entrepreneurial pursuits:
1. Make time to date -- even if you're already in a relationship.
Part of having a healthy sex life is simply setting aside time to, well, have sex -- and it's done by dating people. "I don't have time to date" is not an excuse and will only lead you to put things off until years have gone by and you "forget" how to date.
If you're single, be sure to stay active and meet new people. And, when out on a date, don't treat him or her like a potential customer. Allowing yourself to be open to seeing the romantic potential in someone will give you natural opportunities to have dates and keep your sex life fresh.
For those in relationships, it's always important to set aside time to date your partner. I always make a point to set up date nights as often as possible with my fiance?, who's also an entrepreneur, even though our schedules are crazy. This time not only shows appreciation for focusing on your partner but it also gives you the ability to "shut down," by leaving your entrepreneur brain at home. OK, that might be difficult to do for dedicated entrepreneurs, but it'll be refreshing to talk about other things the two of you care about outside of the business.
2. Set and manage expectations accordingly.
Part of the reason many relationships don't last is the lack of establishing and maintaining expectations. When I first started dating after founding my first brand and I told my dates what I was doing, I noticed many of them didn't want a second or third date. It occurred to me that many of my dates didn't want to date an entrepreneur for various reasons and that eventually served as a filter for the kind of women I wanted to date.
By being upfront about the entrepreneur lifestyle you're living and what you're looking to get out of your relationship, you end up not only saving your dates from getting involved in something they may not want, but also become much more efficient in your dating life, which is what entrepreneurship is a lot about, after all.
3. Stay as confident and ambitious in your dating life as you are in your business.
Speaking of "the lifestyle," one of the biggest turnoffs I had to battle during my dates early on was telling women that I lived at home with my parents to work on my business. As an entrepreneur, you make sacrifices because of the certainty of your success. It's the kind of confidence and ambition that's hard to compromise and should be brought into your dating life. We all know that the lifestyle of an entrepreneur isn't the most lavish one, especially when starting up, and your payout may not come for some time. However, your decision to keep pushing is based on your desire and confidence that you will succeed in the end and combined with the fact not everyone will be compatible with that mentality will empower you to enjoy the dates and relationships you have with those who will be.
And if you weren't convinced by now, studies have shown people believe having such relationships can bring positive effects including a boost in performance and overall morale. In the end, relationships and having a healthy sex life is just as important to your personal life as those relationships mean to your entrepreneurial success. And both can bring great rewards, both personally and professionally.