Having a successful home-based business does mean you have to focus on the finances. After all, if you’re not bringing in revenue, you don’t have a business. So while money is important, I believe it’s more important to recognize that if you’re focusing too heavily on the money side of the equation you may not end up building a business that gives you the life you truly want.
Case in point …
Recently I have seen two fairly prominent solo professionals who hit the million dollar mark within the last year … one professing that she still has to work very hard to make money because of the million she made the majority of it isn’t sitting around in her bank account. She eluded to what it actually COST her to make the million, and it sounded like a lot.
She’s also very publicly sharing that she’s now in the process of pulling back and re-evaluating her life. My takeaway – making the million wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Ever heard the saying, “be careful what you wish for because you just might get it?”
Another solo-pro millionaire admits she’s worked 70+ hour weeks for the better part of the past year to reach the level of financial success she has achieved. She says she loves her work and therefore hasn’t minded working all those hours. She also shared that she never watches TV except the occasional movie, and proposes that if you’re watching TV you’re wasting time you could be pursuing your passion. Entertainment is wasting time? I suppose if you do it all day everyday, but what’s wrong with enjoying some entertainment? Isn’t life about having fun and doing things that please you?
But I’ve had mentors tell me the same thing: ban TV, it’s a waste of time that you could be spending building your business.
Now, I’m not a big TV watcher by any stretch, but I do enjoy a little TV for entertainment with my family, as well as other things in my life besides my business. And, I absolutely love my business, but a life focused 100% on business, with nothing else? Definitely not for me. Nor do I think it’s healthy or what most of the home-based business owners I meet want. Plus, even if I love something I think after months of doing it for 70+ hours a week I probably would NOT love it so much anymore.
After all, I love ice cream but if you made me eat it three meals a day for 7+ months, I’m pretty sure I’d get sick of it.
To me, even if you love your work, life is about more than just work.
I want time to spend with my family and my dogs. I want to go to the gym and take care of myself. I want to go running through the park. I want to go to the movies. I want to go on vacations. I want to read books. I want time to pamper myself and get massages, and manicures and pedicures. And yes, sometimes I want to watch mindless TV and just veg on the couch!
I’ve been down the road to burn-out once, and have actually caught myself heading down the same path again a few times, thankfully I caught myself in time.