Work fewer hours, make more money and have more fun!

If you would like to work less, earn more and start enjoying your life more, this is for you.

I was just sitting down with my 5 year old son, drawing some pictures and talking about the different things he was creating.  He drew his mummy a picture of a butterfly, and was colouring it with some very bright pencils and glitter.  I asked him why he picked a butterfly to draw and he said it was the butterfly we took pictures of in the garden last summer.

I remember that day really well, because it was the day before his trampoline was delivered and we were getting the garden ready for it.  As we tidied that section of the garden up, a beautiful orange butterfly came and perched itself next to where we were.  My son had never seen such a brightly coloured butterfly that close up before – it was inches away from his nose!

Although my little boy loves his trampoline, the key thing he remembered from that 24 hour period, was the time he shared, looking at (and talking to) that little orange butterfly.

I’m glad I was able to be there to share the moment with him, so we could remember it together.  I build time every day into my schedule, where I get to see and play with him.  We spend an hour together every morning, having breakfast and then feeding his pet guinea pigs.  When he gets in from school, we spend time talking about his day and then, before he goes to bed, we sit down together and have a story.  That time is blocked off in my diary.  It’s not for sale.

Working smart

Someone once told me that although it’s good to have the wonderful things that money can buy, it’s even more important not to forget or neglect the things money can’t buy.  Many hard working small business owners are working such long hours in order to make a living, that they miss years worth of the precious things, which money can’t buy.

Any business model or entrepreneurial venture, that stops you from having the things money can’t buy, is a waste of your time. It’s a broken plan!

You don’t need to work crazy hours in order to achieve your commercial objectives.  The answer is not to throw more hours at a business model that’s failing you and those you love.  Instead, figure out why you need to work so many hours. For example:

• Are you charging too little for your time, so need to work too many hours?
• Are you wasting major working time, on minor things?
• Do you need to improve your time management or project management skills?
• Are you giving too much of your time away and then playing catch-up?

The key to business success is NOT hard work and long hours.  If it was, our grandparents would have been millionaires!  In my experience, it’s about working hard and smart during working hours, putting effective plans into place, to create a business that’s as profitable as possible.

Find a way to develop a better business, where you can work DAMN hard during work hours and still have time to smell the roses!