Written by Karen D. Swim

Last week I hinted about my “affair” and it’s time to come clean. I would never advocate the human variety of cheating but cheating on your business can be a great thing! For more than five years my primary business has been writing and marketing. Within those broad parameters, I have performed a wide range of functions for clients.

My affair began with a casual conversation with Trish Lambert about clients new to the web led us to co-create a brand new shared venture. Our shared passion for helping people, and collective experiences of frustrations experienced by our clients led to “what if” discussions. What if we helped ease the way for brand new people to have a web presence? What if people on a do-it-yourself budget but lacking a do-it-yourself bandwidth had someone like us who would do it for them? What if we not only wrote their content but took them from zero to launch?

The conversations grew from excited snippets to a real plan. I soon found myself no longer talking but installing new WordPress sites, and spending hours coding and customizing. It was a flirtation, a chance to let my secret inner geek flag fly. I visited forums and learned new javascript code. I installed Firebug and began to explore the codes of sites I loved. I listened; I learned and fell in love.

I was cheating on my business, spending time on something that was not my natural area of expertise and loving it!

My flirtation will not become a full time job but it has allowed me a new perspective. Coding is precise and requires an attention to detail. Challenging my brain in this new way was not only keeping my brain healthy and young but refreshed my writing.

Stepping out on my business filled me with an excitement that had been missing in recent months. Cheating gave me the space to clearly see what I loved doing in my “real”job and what was draining me of energy and passion.

In recent weeks, I have talked with many others who are feeling a bit of wanderlust. Their stories led me to share my own journey in hopes that it would help others in need of a change without completely ditching their business. If you still love what you do but something seems off or missing, cheating can help you rediscover your passion.

Allowing yourself to flirt renews a sense of play in your work. I celebrated when I learned something new and took risks uncommon in my regular job. I was not an expert at coding and that freed me to have fun with it. Cheating on your business also exposes you to a different perspective from people that are outside of your primary industry.

Whether you have your own business or work for a company, allowing yourself a side flirtation can add value to your professional life.  A flirtation can give you the space needed to assess your primary role without making major changes. You may find that you don’t have to ditch your business or job but simply spice it up with a little variety.

Have you ever strayed from your primary business role? What impact did it have on your professional and/or personal life? If you have never cheated, how do you keep yourself engaged and excited about what you do?