Balancing a ‘normal’ job and starting a business
You’ve probably heard this hundreds of times- “I would do that if I had time”, “Must be nice to have all the time in the world to do art”, “I’d start a business but I just can’t find time”. That’s what 90% of people say after you tell them your idea of starting up your own business. The other 10% tell you straight up- don’t do it you’ll fail. And the truth is….you most likely will fail. Most businesses do. Why is that?
Welcome back dear Traveler! It’s good to see you here again. I hope you’re well. Today I wanted to discuss the concept of time and how we use it.
“We all have the same 24 hours in a day.” You’ve probably heard that too. I have. The truth of the matter is ….no we don’t. Not everyone’s 24 hours look the same. Some people have children that take up a lot of time to raise, others work extra long shifts to make ends meet, and some simply can’t exist without being in pain-or some other form of disadvantage. So, with that being said, I think it’s totally possible for anyone to follow their dreams. Now it may be easier for some than it is for others, but the fact is it is NEVER easy. Even if you come from means and have plenty of time during the day…there is a lot of work involved in running a business of your own. Something I have figured out these last few months as I’ve embarked on this journey.
There’s the basics, like the idea…some people get stuck here. Paralyzed by the sheer sum of ideas in their head. Then there is the registration. Most don’t want anything to do with the government, and believe me I didn’t really find that part appealing myself. I like to have as little to do with government stuff as possible. Then there’s figuring out the sales tax, and website domains and inventory, and planning maket set ups and….so much more.
So how does one balance this? It’s not like you can just quit your 9 to 5 and pursue this dream that is only half baked. You need money to live, money to invest into the business, money, money, money. At the cost of your time.
Society likes to tell us how we should live. Get 8 hours of sleep every night, eat healthy food, work forty hours a week, have two children, take them to after school activities, also have plenty of time to clean up the home and provide dinner for all, and do it with a smile. Some people just don’t run like that. Some people are night owls. Some are morning people. Some love to work and make money, others don’t give a damn about money. But everyone wants happiness. And everyone deserves happiness. We should all be pursuing that, whatever it looks like for you.
So if that means you work your 9 to 5 and then come home to paint for a few hours every night while you have a glass of wine, that’s great.
If you have kids and a spouse and can only carve out small chunks of time on the weekends, that’s great too!
The only way you can fail, is by not trying at all.
The goal is to just move the piece on the board forward, even just a little bit. Maybe you could only work on your dream for three hours out of the whole month, that’s awesome! You persisted! You chose to move forward! And if you do that, you can never truly fail.
Have courage to pursue your dreams Traveler. Find whatever balance works for you, don’t give a damn what society thinks. Be the best version of you that you can be.
Until next time. Safe Travels!
