Celebrate the Little Successes as a Salve Against the Bruises of Entrepreneurship and Parenthood When you're juggling two jobs -- entrepreneur and parent -- the days seem endless and the nights can feel just as long. And let's just admit one thing: there's very little reward, or it seems that way.

By Jim Joseph

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

When you're juggling two jobs -- entrepreneur and parent -- the days seem endless and the nights can feel just as long. And let's just admit one thing: there's very little reward, or it seems that way.

Because we are in it for the long haul, we don't mind too much. We know the reward comes in the end: happy, healthy and successful children and hopefully a business that's either hit critical mass or is up for sale.

We hope for big payoffs in both directions! Wouldn't that be amazing?

The problem is those successes are a long time coming and we rarely get glimpses of them happening. There's always something wrong. There's always a hiccup.

Related: 5 Philosophies That Will Help You on Your Path to Success

How do you do both successfully? How do you max out both sides of life's equation?

That question is nearly impossible to answer. So we keep plowing ahead, and keep hoping that we will reach our goal: happy kids and a successful business.

This is exactly why it's so important to celebrate the little things in life, both personally and professionally, along the way.

When we were raising our young kids at home, we would try to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, just for the experience of it all -- gingerbread house kits at Christmas, school projects on the kitchen table, taco night with all the fixings prepped in bowls.

We always tried to make these little events feel special.

When I had my own marketing agency, we would celebrate the milestones there as well: the launch of big campaigns, internal promotions, new business wins. Everything was a reason to say "cheers!"

Related: Forget Big Goals. Take Baby Steps for Small, Daily Wins.

These little moments, celebrated big, would keep us engaged and aligned, regardless of how long and tough the days and nights felt. The kids went to bed happy, and our employees went home fulfilled, maybe not every day, but most of the time.

At least that was the goal. With a long-term goal so far out -- college for the kids and selling the agency -- we had to have milestones along the way.

It certainly helped me to enjoy the journey, I can tell you that.

I chronicled the journey in my new book Out and About Dad as a way to celebrate what I've accomplished. I have two happy, healthy and successful kids and I've moved on from my own little startup to a global brand-communications firm.

I'll take it, and all the bumps and bruises along the way. Yes, I wrote about those too -- the journey wouldn't be complete without them.

Related: 10 Ways You're Already a Success

Jim Joseph

Marketing Master - Author - Blogger - Dad

Jim Joseph is a commentator on the marketing industry. He is Global President of the marketing communications agency BCW, author of The Experience Effect series and an adjunct instructor at New York University.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

Innovation

4 Ways Market Leaders Use Innovation to Foster Business Growth

Forward-thinkers constantly strive to diversify and streamline their products and services, turning novelties into commodities desired by many.

Business News

'Nothing More Powerful': How to Transform Companies From Within as an 'Intrapreneur,' According to a Microsoft Office and Yahoo! Shopping Cofounder

Elizabeth Funk wrote the first code for Yahoo! Shopping on her own, based on skills she acquired from an "HTML for Dummies" book.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Franchise

The 10 Best Franchises to Open in 2018

Here's everything you need to know about the startup costs, training and investment opportunities from the top 10 companies in our Franchise 500.

Growing a Business

How Meta Generated $32 Billion in Ad Revenue Last Quarter — and How You Can Create Million-Dollar Weekends Using the Same Strategies

Meta's staggering $32 billion quarterly ad revenue isn't just about size; it's about strategy, systems and execution as well.