We have been talking about what your ideal life would be. Surely your answers at different ages in life will be different. And, for some, an ideal life, even if achieved, has a way of getting boring over time, and we want something different.
The purpose of starting or owning a business is, among other things, to enable the owner to live an ideal life as a result of owning the business. This is not to assume that the owner’s goal is to make mountains of money so they may move to Tahiti at age 32 and live out the rest of their days on the beach.
The very thing that caused the entrepreneur to come to own a business in the first place, is the thing that would make him/her unhappy with a life of leisure anyway. Entrepreneurs need to create and produce and see how far they can go to be fully expressed and satisfied.
An “ideal life” at this stage may be working and feeling forward motion in your business toward the ideal business, enjoying working with others, eliminating persistent problems, having a wonderful family life and a deep personal relationship, being healthy, and having fun.
You can do that well before your business is very profitable.
But let’s go back to the original question and pretend we do not own a business. We may be thinking “my ideal personal life is not possible given my situation”.
Who got you into that situation?
Your ideal life may require that you take responsibility, learn what you must, and take the actions necessary so you can live your ideal personal life.
It’s the same when we own a business. (Being self-employed is not owning a business. You get paid for the work YOU do, and as soon as you stop working, you stop getting paid.) You have this living breathing organization that demands your attention or it will die. It rules your world. You cannot leave it and it feeds you constant problems that stand in the way of you living your ideal life.
In order to command control of your business, instead of it controlling you, you have to learn how to fix it, and lead it better. If it’s hard and not fun, you are doing it wrong. So to live your ideal life, you have to learn to be the kind of person who can master the business so it serves you first.
More tomorrow….
The Professor of Harsh Reality!
Daily your words seem to be just what I need. I’ve been self employed (I call it being “gamefully unemployed”), for 40 years, I’m now 70 y.o. and slowly shifting to a new place and look forward to continuing to be a problem solver. Thanks for your support.
p.s. I’m also a card carrying member of the Iron Butt Assoc.
Ride On! Be Safe!