Don’t forget your purpose!
Unless you grew up in an entrepreneurial family, and have always worked for yourself, the shift from your 9-5 can present a lot of unanticipated challenges.
- You no longer have healthcare provided.
- You no longer have guaranteed income.
- You no longer have set work hours.
Just to name a few.
What this often means is that you are working a lot more than you expected to.
Sure, you can set hours and block your time, but… are you really going to let that great idea fall by the wayside just because it’s after you said you’d quit for the day? Of course not! At the very least you’ll take some time and put in a note or a task to follow up on the next day.
Even with healthy boundaries, the amount of time invested in creating your business is often much higher than a typical 40-hour work week, even with drive time.
And, because it is your business, you are invested on a whole other level.
All this can create a tremendous sense of urgency and obsession.
Is that bad? No. But it is if you forgot why you chose this path in the first place.
Everyone I know did it for one of the 3 F’s:
Freedom: Not all of us like having to answer to someone else.
Flexibility: As it turns out, not everyone performs at their best during corporate work hours.
Fun: The big payoff we all wait for when the money starts rolling in.
If you ask me, fun is the most important. Why work harder, longer, and with potentially less support, if the amount of fun and joy experienced goes down? But, regardless of which of the F’s you are aiming for, make sure not to lose sight of it.
Your purpose isn’t just what keeps you going, it’s what informs you when you need to course correct, and is a key metric in goal setting.
So… Don’t forget your purpose.