This post is all about frustration. Frustration over not having enough time to devote to my business. Is this you?
I’ve got my full-time job, my family, my leadership responsibilities at our church, and I’m trying to finish our massive basement (which contains my home office). The time that is left over is what I have to spend on Gather No Moss. Frustrating. Oh yeah, I’m also training for my first triathlon.
I’ve heard from others that tell me that I have to sacrifice to make my business a reality. I agree, and I am sacrificing. But what to sacrifice is something that only the sacrificer can decide on. I can’t cheat my employer, or my family, and we all must have regular exercise (that’s the whole point of my business, after all). I can and do sometimes have to let a task around the house go undone for a while (that why the basement has been a 3-year project). Only I can decide what I’m willing to let go of.
This past winter I made a difficult decision. We live in the country, in the woods. Our house has a wood-burning stove in the basement that is capable of heating the house, and we’re surrounded by trees. That’s free fuel! I love cutting and splitting a fallen tree…it cleans up the landscape and provides heat for the house. And it’s great exercise and wonderful “outside” time. I’ve done this for three winters.
But this takes time–to cut, split, and haul the wood, and then to be attentive to the wood-burner to keep it stoked. As much as I like the feeling of the natural warmth in our house, and love the idea of (partially) living off the land, I had to accept that this was an optional activity. It’s not like we don’t have a furnace and the money to pay for the propane.
I decided that I needed to spend time on my business rather than spending time to heat our home. I had to face the fact that my time was worth more than the money we’d save.
I’m not done. I still have to cut other things out to make more “business” time.
How about you? Are you sacrificing the wrong things? Keep in mind why you’re trying to start a business in the first place. Hopefully, like me, one of your goals is to have more time freedom. Yes we need to sacrifice in the present to achieve for the future, but not at the total expense of the present. Enjoy the process, don’t just strive for the destination.
Gather no moss!
Brian