When I started up in business, I found myself so excited with what I was doing, there always seemed to be so much more to do, I spent more and more time working and I loved it.
But that meant I spent less time and energy on other things. And I know I’m not alone in this. Many of you have told me that your business demands much more of your attention, time and energy than you anticipated and there always seems to be something else that needs to be done before we finish up for the day.
When you start a business, it’s usually from an interest, passion or even hobby, and the early days are really exciting as you work on something you love, introducing it to others and demonstrating your expertise and knowledge. We all love doing that!
But fast forward a couple of years, and you think back to life before business, recalling the days on the golf course, the lazy afternoons in front of the TV or the long beach walks you used to enjoy.
Where did all that spare time you once had disappear to?
As business grows, you realise that the original, and oftentimes singular, focus you had on it is taking a toll on your life and that you can’t remember the last time you had an afternoon doing something just for the sake of it, something frivolous, something off topic, something for you .
The things you really enjoyed before the business took over your life.
Your business needs energy, commitment and time. Of course it does, but we occasionally need to say that it doesn’t need all of it, it doesn’t need all of you all the time.
We need to hold on to the things that nourish our lives, the things that feed our body, mind and soul. When we continue to put all our energy into our business, we can lose balance in life. And being out of balance is bad for business too. Think how energised and fired up you’d be after a great weekend away recharging your energy and enthusiasm for life, work and fun.
We use our businesses to help us achieve what we want in life, this gives our business a purpose, and the short term sacrifices that lead to the longer term achievement of your vision for your life are worthwhile.
The next challenge is to make the leap from working in the business to getting the business running so smoothly it doesn’t rely on you and then you can let go more and work on what you want, not just from your business, but from your life.
What Did You Give Up?
When I started up in business, I found myself so excited with what I was doing, there always seemed to be so much more to do, I spent more and more time working and I loved it.
But that meant I spent less time and energy on other things. And I know I’m not alone in this. Many of you have told me that your business demands much more of your attention, time and energy than you anticipated and there always seems to be something else that needs to be done before we finish up for the day.
When you start a business, it’s usually from an interest, passion or even hobby, and the early days are really exciting as you work on something you love, introducing it to others and demonstrating your expertise and knowledge. We all love doing that!
But fast forward a couple of years, and you think back to life before business, recalling the days on the golf course, the lazy afternoons in front of the TV or the long beach walks you used to enjoy.
Where did all that spare time you once had disappear to?
As business grows, you realise that the original, and oftentimes singular, focus you had on it is taking a toll on your life and that you can’t remember the last time you had an afternoon doing something just for the sake of it, something frivolous, something off topic, something for you .
The things you really enjoyed before the business took over your life.
Your business needs energy, commitment and time. Of course it does, but we occasionally need to say that it doesn’t need all of it, it doesn’t need all of you all the time.
We need to hold on to the things that nourish our lives, the things that feed our body, mind and soul. When we continue to put all our energy into our business, we can lose balance in life. And being out of balance is bad for business too. Think how energised and fired up you’d be after a great weekend away recharging your energy and enthusiasm for life, work and fun.
We use our businesses to help us achieve what we want in life, this gives our business a purpose, and the short term sacrifices that lead to the longer term achievement of your vision for your life are worthwhile.
The next challenge is to make the leap from working in the business to getting the business running so smoothly it doesn’t rely on you and then you can let go more and work on what you want, not just from your business, but from your life.
Sounds ideal, doesn’t it?
So, is that what you’re doing?
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