I joined the Rotary Club of Clayton this past summer. But before I formally joined, I attended numerous meetings as a guest to learn about the work of our local club and to see if I thought it would be a good fit for my desired engagement and volunteerism in my small community of Clayton, NY, in the 1000 Islands. I knew about their work supporting children’s literacy efforts in our community, as well as the leadership they were assuming for the River Santa program, and both aligned with my community service history and interests.

As we closed out the first meeting I attended as a guest, the group collectively recited the “Four-Way Test,” which is used by all Rotarians Internationally (and I had heard of before):

“Is it the truth?

Is it fair to all concerned?

Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”

And then everyone in the room continued with (in slightly louder voices), “Will It Be FUN?!”

That was the moment that I knew I was destined to become a Rotarian in Clayton myself.

The reason is that two years ago, “Will it be fun?” became a question I started asking myself about all business-related choices. It took the first 18 years in business for this to become a guiding question, and the reasons why are important, yet very personal. Previously, I used questions about capacity, sustainability, and revenue potential to help guide business decisions. Those questions are all still important, but they are now less important than “Will it be fun?” when considering an action for myself and for our team. Although I wish I had started to use this as a guiding question earlier in my years in business, what I consider important now is that I don’t let the lesson fall to the wayside, but rather keep it front and center in all decisions.

As a result?

It doesn’t mean everything is all sunshine and rainbows. Stressful moments still happen. Yet, by changing my driving question, I see that the business continues to cruise along in a sustainable way that aligns with my personal values and can support my family, as well as my employees and their families. But along the way, we are having A LOT more fun.

Read the blog on The 20 Things I’ve Learned in Business