Why You Can Have Time and Space Freedom Right Now
Episode 546: Show Notes
So, we just wrapped up the recording for our most popular webinar ever, Day Job to Dream Job. The discussion sparked some further conversations between us and some of our students about the whole ‘you can earn a full-time income without putting in full-time hours.’ We have the belief that you can do this from day one, and that it doesn't have to just be a financial milestone you reward yourself with. But the time and space freedom you get when you work for yourself looks different when you're just getting started versus when you are two years in, six years in, and even further in than that. So, today, we want to break down what we mean by that and dive into what we truly think is needed for the brain to rewire that thought process. We also give a sneak peek of what it looks like when you chase after free time, and how you choose to fill that free time. Because there are some of us who simply fill the free time we work so hard for with just more work!
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Why Do We Even Work Eight Hour Days?
The idea of working full-time is a hangover from old manufacturing facilities. Ford invented the 8-5, but even now we know people who work more than 40 plus hours a week. So, even though the eight or nine-hour workday was invented to help businesses grow, it had no consideration for the workers and the impact that it would have on them. We assumed that it would work for every industry, for every person. But, think about it, do you know anyone who can be productive for that many hours in the day? When we started out, we worked from the time our husbands left home till the time they came back, at which point we started cooking dinner. We held this belief that if we did not put in traditional hours, that meant we didn't take our businesses seriously. Granted, we put in those crazy hours because we actually didn't realize that we were running two businesses. So, we had to think about how to scale back slowly and figure out how to make things better for ourselves. And even though this decision was so great for us, it was still so hard to go against the norm. We were already breaking away because we had our own business, so ending work at 2 or 3 felt almost shameful.
Life Changes, Schedule Changes
For a long time, we were doing what we thought we were supposed to do and what we thought our spouses expected of us. But we made small shifts so that we could prioritize what was important to us and make our workdays fit our needs. As our needs have changed, our days have changed with it. We have often been forced into making changes, like after Abagail had her accident she knew that she had to take care of herself to show up the best she could. Another big shift was when Emylee had Penny, and her schedule had to change. What we are trying to say is that you don't need permission to make your schedule suit your needs. Of course, when you are getting things off the ground, you probably do need to put in more of your own time. But you don't have to push yourself to breaking point to get the freedom you want some time in the future. You can absolutely do it right now!
What Can You Do with Your Free Time?
In the beginning, we were definitely putting in 40 hours a week, but within six months, we were part-time. Basically, we were always doing the bare minimum so that we could qualify for insurance, and it was great! In 2019, Penny started going to school full-time, and Emylee would drop off and pick her up at school, so some of the Boss Project meeting times had to change. Even though Emylee no longer does this, her schedule still allows for some time to decompress as if she were dropping and picking up Penny at school. So, how has this time affected Abagail's life? Her days look very different, and often her work happens in concentrated pockets. Yes, she is sometimes guilty of filling her days up with more work, but she has also read more than she had in ages. She also moved into a new house that she has been renovating, which has been taking up a ton of her time. Because she has more freedom now, she can be more experimental without so much pressure to make things succeed financially. There are also so many things that Abagail is doing now to make money that she doesn't share. It's not that she wants to keep secrets, but sharing things online has consequences that she has become more aware of over time.
Set Realistic Expectations for Yourself and Your Business
For us, getting to enjoy the point of starting our own business looked like doing Target runs, but then it became about figuring out how we could make our schedules reflect the responsibilities we had in our lives. Going into 2020, Emylee realized she needed a creative reset, and she would turn off notifications early and try to disconnect. Not only was this great for her, but it also showed the team that they are still capable without her. This is why you have to be honest about what you want your business to look like, and be willing to do what it takes to make it be that thing for you. We are not necessarily talking about putting in more than 40 hours a week. Maybe it is about you being ok with taking things slower knowing that your business will not scale as fast, but having faith that it will still get there eventually. It is about being realistic with yourself and truly understanding the effects of your decisions. If you don't have the capacity to do something, then you don't have to do it. Take care of yourself first. So many people set unrealistic expectations, and get disappointed when things don't work out. This is why Abagail believes in taking a tried and trusted approach, even if it is a bit slower, rather than following a fad and hoping that your business will simply explode.
Let Go of The Guilt Around Living the Life You Want
A lot of this comes down to the rose-colored glasses we have on when we look at social media. We don't see how much work people have to put in to get the life they want and often we use these ideas to set our own (unrealistic) goals. We are not saying that people don't share realistic things on social media. Ultimately, what we want is for you to have a business that will not only see you through tough times but will also allow you to enjoy your life when things are great. But even when you get to this point, it is still so hard to be able to enjoy life guilt-free because of how much we have been brainwashed into believing that we have to push ourselves so hard to take time off in the future. It takes time, and the version of the life you have now is not the version that it is going to be forever.
Quote This
What we want for everyone is for you to design a business that is sustainable during hard times but also gives you the freedom and the flexibility to enjoy your life when things are great.
Highlights
Why Do We Even Work Eight Hour Days? [0:03:27.1]
Life Changes, Schedule Changes. [0:11:34.1]
What Can You Do with Your Free Time? [0:22:30.1]
Set Realistic Expectations for Yourself and Your Business, [0:31:46.1]
Let Go of The Guilt Around Living the Life You Want. [0:38:25.1]
ON TODAY’S SHOW
Abagail & Emylee
The Strategy Hour Podcast
We help overwhelmed and creative entrepreneurs break down their Oprah-sized dreams to create a functioning command center to tame the chaos of their business. Basically, we think you’re totally bomb diggity, we’re about to uplevel the shiz out of your business.
