The Cost of Comfortable

My husband Greg and I had heat and air conditioning (HVAC) installed in our house last week.

I haven’t had central air conditioning in my home since 1993, and I like warm summer days, so I was much more interested in having heat this winter than cooler temperatures in the summer.

For the first few days, I thought the air conditioning was great. No more sweating or wondering if it was going to be “too hot” today – I was glad to be missing all that. But… I was missing something else: the sounds of the birds and crickets that used to keep me company all day!

Despite the 87’ temperatures outside, I turned off the AC and opened my windows. Crazy? Maybe. But at this point in my life, I try to do what I prefer, not what “most people do.”

Running a business is very similar. It’s a lot less complicated and, in many ways, a lot more comfortable to have a job – but you miss the opportunity to create whatever kind of world you prefer.

Here are some tips on doing that successfully…

1. Talk about what you want. I bet you could list a bunch of things you don’t like about your job situation: Your boss, how much you earn, and the hours you put in. If you’re like most people, you talk about these things regularly.
   
   How about making a list of what you want instead: Time flexibility, making more than enough money, working from home. Focus on that.
    
2. Know your numbers. If you want to quit your job or avoid getting a new one, you must be clear on how much money you need to make each month for that to happen.
   
   Create a spending summary for the last few months. Include rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, dining out, car payments, and any other category you spend money on. Get a clear picture. Document your expenses on a sheet of paper or an Excel spreadsheet.
   
   You need a clear financial target to aim for, so figure out how many billable hours you’ll need to work to create the money you want. More on that here.
    
3. Make a plan. Creating a written plan makes it much more likely that you will follow through. Motivation and willpower don’t get results like deadlines, next steps, and new habits.
   
   Think about the changes you’ll need to make to execute your plan, such as changing your schedule or making different choices. This will help you live into the future version of yourself—your chosen self.

Running a business in whatever way works best for you often means going against the norm. And while you may sweat a bit more sometimes than you would if you had a job, you’ll also hear a lot more birds singing.