Are You Battling Your Inner Child?

If you are a parent or have been around small children, you’ve likely seen a temper tantrum…or two!

As an adult, you realize the importance of getting things done a certain way in a specific period of time. But a three-year-old doesn’t necessarily see it the same way.

If you think about it, there are times in our business lives that we act like a toddler throwing a fit. Inside, we stomp our feet and declare that we don’t HAVE to do anything.

We may even say things ourselves that sound just like a child would say. Things like:

No! I won’t do it!

Not now! Later, when I have more time!

I don’t want to do it!

This topic comes up frequently with my clients. It’s serious.

Now, I’m not a psychologist. I don’t know why we battle our inner child. I just realize it happens. It could be because we were wronged sometime. It could be an entirely natural reaction to emotions like fear, uncertainty, excitement, or plain boredom.

My point is this – we spend too much time battling our inner child when we should be building our business. If you don’t get the child to settle down, your work will never get completed. And you will spend many days extremely frustrated.

Don’t get me wrong. The “kid” in you is fantastic for creativity and having fun. But sometimes we just need to buckle down and be the grown-up.

Here are five suggestions to help you deal with your inner child and get some work done. Feel free to try one or try them all.

What I say goes

Take a moment to let your inner child know you’re a grown-up, and it’s time for them to behave.

Play pretend

Kids love to play pretend. Since you probably created your business so you could call the shots, pretend you’re an employee. Look at the work you need to get done and do it for your “boss.”

Try some bribery

How many times have you needed to “bribe” your child to do something? It can work the same way with the kid in you. Tell him or her that once a specific task has been completed, and they have behaved, you can take a break and do something fun.

Have a chat

Have a simple chat with your inner child. Is there a reason they refuse to get the job done? Are they afraid? What are they afraid of? A brand new task? Hard? Boring? Reassure them that everything will work out because you have the resources and people you need to help you.

Make a play date

All work and no play makes you a dull person…and burns you out. Take some time to play. Take frequent breaks to move your body and your mind.

I’d like to hear your struggles with your inner child. What are they and how do you reign them in?