I’ll never forget the 1st of February 2017.
It was the day I got my life back. 🙂
10 years of dreaming about a life of FREEDOM, and it finally came true on this day.
My first month in business, full-time, has been one of the most memorable and special times of my life.
I’m talking about a month of doing WHAT I want, WHEN I want.
If this post doesn’t motivate you to take control of your life now by starting your own business, please check your pulse.
1. I Love Having Meetings Again
I know “hate” is a strong word to use. But the time is right…
I used to hate attending the majority of meetings in my 9 to 5 job.
The ass kissing, ego, bravado and downward talking style from management during those meetings was enough to put me off them.
Have you ever spoken to an entrepreneur and just felt like you connected without even trying? Like you both understood where you wanted to go and wanted to help each other?
I wasn’t getting this at in my normal job.
On the other hand, I’ve had nearly a dozen meetings in February with entrepreneurs and business owners and every one of them has been AMAZING.
Like the time I met a potential client and referral partner at a shisha cafe. That afternoon we smoked shisha, ate good food and had mint tea. This meeting alone will be worth around £20,000 in sales this year as mentioned in February’s income update.
Or that time I went to a large family run engineering company who were outgrowing their existing factory and were expecting to double their business this year. Just meeting businesses like this and hearing their story is so inspiring.
They were looking to rebuild their website and have an entire online marketing strategy implemented. It would’ve taken me nearly 10 months to complete and earned my business around £25,000 in sales. Unfortunately I didn’t win the project, but I learnt how to put together a very detailed proposal, which took nearly a week to do.
Next week, I have a meeting planned with a sales coach who wants to team up to deliver high quality workshops in London. I can’t wait to see where that conversation leads.
2. Played Badminton, Because I Can
There’s a lot of talk out there online about working every hour of the day and hustling to grow your business.
A bit like this one…
I love watching videos like this when I need some quick motivation. However, I don’t believe you need to run yourself in the ground to grow a successful business.
Yes, there’s nothing wrong about working hard to reach your dreams. But after working this hard running a day job and side business, you deserve to start changing your life for the better, ASAP.
Quitting my job was my chance to start living a life I look forward to, everyday.
YOU CAN GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND HAVE FUN AT THE SAME TIME. – click to tweet
After all, what’s the point of leaving your boring 9 to 5 job, if you’re not going to have fun.
This concept was incredibly important for me before I left my job as previous to quitting my job I was practically working everyday either on my job or business. I was driven by the thought of:
a) Working on something I enjoy and
b) My family and I being free to do what we want
But, at what point does my family and I begin to benefit from this new chapter?
I’ve decided. NOW.
Look at it this way. If you quit your job and worked every single day, nothing has really changed in your personal life.
Why not take the opportunity to create good habits and live a fulfilling life from the beginning.
For instance, I decided to take the morning off one day, and play badminton with a friend. It was a last minute thing, and I did it, because, I CAN.
I got home, and worked into the evening to catch-up on work that day.
Imagine waking up and deciding how you wanted to spend your day. Well, it’s not as difficult as you may think.
3. Actually Enjoying Days Off Work
It was my wife’s birthday on Friday 24th February and we spent the whole day together.
Every year we take a day off for each other’s birthday if it falls during the week. This year, she had to ask her manager for permission. Me, I asked myself. 🙂
I planned my calendar schedule and tasks so that my wife had my full attention. I wanted to give her the best birthday ever!
I remember when I used to take days off work during super busy periods and I’d worry about coming back to hundreds of emails and a pile of work. This thought would spoil my day off.
I would almost feel guilty for taking the day off and on occasions some managers wouldn’t make the situation any better for me.
Now…
I have the right to take time off.
I can immerse myself in something else completely.
I don’t worry about my emails piling up as I’ve set my client’s expectations.
We had a great day on her birthday and all WITHOUT feeling guilty.
Your Turn
Take 15 minutes out today and make a list of all the things you want to do once you have left your job.
My list included around 10 things, like learning to play the piano and making pizza doughs, two things I said I will do when I start working for myself one day.
I’d love to see what you’ve included in your list, please let me know in the comments below.
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