How to Build a Business and Life You Love9 min read
Wondering how to build a business without sacrificing your life in the process? This article outlines the 3 keys to building a business and life you love so that you can learn how to build a thriving business and how to live a fulfilling life.
You started your online business so that you could live life on your terms, am I right?
The idea of working from a laptop anywhere in the world appealed to you, or maybe the thought of having more time with your kiddos spurred you into action.
Being your own boss with no one to tell you what to do and no one capping your take-home pay is a motivating force for many new entrepreneurs.
Having spent 6 years in the corporate world working 12 hour days only to make five figures a year, waiting for the weekends to spend quality time with my kiddos, and trying to ignore the dread that washed over me every Monday morning, I was ready for something more.
Now, I work 12 hour weeks and make multiple five figures a month in my dream business, doing work that fulfills me, and living my life in alignment with my values.
Sound too goo to be true? It used to seem that way to me too, however…
Entrepreneurship has enabled a transformation in my life that I am deeply passionate about creating in others’. To read more about my story and my life’s work, click here.
But what I see happen time and time again with corporate escapees making their way through entrepreneurship, is the recreation of the 9 to 5 grind and the abomination of all freedom, ease, and fulfillment in business.
It goes like this:
- Aspiring entrepreneur starts side hustle while working full time job
- Builds momentum and starts generating some revenue, ad hoc
- Quits job, focuses on business full time, and eventually creates consistent revenue
- Even though she works for herself, is always stressed about the financial security of the business, is working harder than she ever did in her corporate job, and hasn’t taken an evening/weekend/week off in ages
- Self sabotages her growth & success without realizing it
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So, how do you avoid this trap of building a business that sucks the life out of you?
In this article, I’ll share the 3 keys to creating a life and business you love, without the midlife crisis. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur just getting started in your business journey, or you’ve built up a successful business that supports you financially, these 3 things will help you create a fulfilling life and business intentionally.
How to Build a Business and Life You Love: Start with the End in Mind
Freedom, of time and money, is usually the first thing that sparks interest in entrepreneurship.
But, upon creating this freedom, you realize that you’re actually after something more.
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Many entrepreneurs build profitable businesses, but few create fulfilling businesses from the get-go.
Most people have to “have it all” before they realize it wasn’t what they wanted.
The way that you create a life and business that you love (without the midlife crisis) is by getting honest with yourself about what it is you’re really after.
Start with the end in mind.
Picture yourself with all of the time and money in the world, what would you be doing then?
This question gets at the root of your values and your fulfillment, by eliminating the two biggest obstacles most people face (time and money) and allowing you to dream beyond that.
What do you really want out of life?
Is it the ability to travel more and see every corner of the world?
Is it the consistency of cooking dinner for your family and friends every evening and having ample spaciousness in your calendar to connect with the people you love most?
Is it the means to make the world a better place, and create a genuine impact?
Forget about what you think you should want and release all comparisons to those around you. Answer this question from your own desires.
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Rewrite the narrative around success. Go beyond financial compensation. Start thinking about what really matters to you.
How can you build your business to support you in creating that from the get-go?
Whatever it is you want, it is within your reach. Get intentional about creating a business that supports your vision for your life, instead of sacrificing your life to match the definition of a “successful” business.
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How to Build a Business and Life You Love: Prioritize Joy Today
Delayed gratification is great for six-year-olds learning to save their money, but it actually holds you back from living your dream life.
Telling yourself you will take a week of vacation once a quarter when your business hits X financial milestone is nothing but a lie.
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I’ve worked with solopreneurs and high-level CEOs for years, and at both levels, we humans are constantly telling ourselves ‘now is not the right time.’
You started your business so that you could have more freedom… It is your responsibility to leverage that freedom… now.
Whether it’s an afternoon with no meetings so that you have space to think, vision, strategize, and create, or an entire month off so that you can take the trip of a lifetime… no one’s going to do it for you.
Spaciousness is not a luxury. It’s your responsibility.
Instead of thinking of all the reasons why you “can’t”, start asking yourself “what needs to be true for me to go ahead and do that?” It’s usually less complicated than your brain wants you to believe.
I had a client who thrived on naps. Any day she took a nap, she felt like a million bucks and was ready to take on the world. Yet, through challenges and rough times in her business, the naps were the first to go…
The very thing that cleared her headspace and created the energy to problem-solve was the thing she denied herself when she needed it most… Because society doesn’t exactly encourage taking naps in the middle of the day.
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But she is the CEO of her business, and it was time to become the CEO of her life. To leverage the freedom she worked so hard to create. And to make 20 min power naps a non-negotiable part of her daily routine. Just like eating breakfast, or exercising.
Take a look at how you’re running your business – are you leveraging the freedom you’ve created thus far to support you in ways that allow you to thrive (however different they might look from everyone else)?
What small change would make running your business infinitely easier or more enjoyable?
How to Build a Life and Business You Love: Make an Impact
The missing ingredient to a fulfilling life and business is making an impact or being a part of a movement that’s bigger than you.
What do you stand for? What do you stand against? How are you contributing your own energy to a movement that’s meaningful to you?
Entrepreneurs who aren’t clear on their internal and external WHY (why they’re dedicating their energy to building a business) give up.
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It gets hard, guys! Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster of ups and downs and although you have the strength to move through them, you need a vision and a why that’s bigger than yourself to pull you forward.
When I don’t feel like showing up in my business, I think of the woman that’s struggling to build hers and is left settling for a 9 to 5 that drains her – she moves me into action because I am so damn passionate about creating a world where everyone loves the work they do.
What about you? What moves you forward? Why are you here?
Fulfillment is a natural byproduct of creating an impact.
Make sure you’re clear on the impact you’re here to create if you want to build a life and business that you love.
It’s so exciting to be where you’re at. Every stage of the journey to build a business and life you love has so much to celebrate. It can be easy to recreate the corporate grind in your own business, especially if you aren’t being intentional in running your business in alignment with your values.
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In order to live a life you love, you have to create a business that aligns with your values & passions (start with the end in mind); you have to be intentional about doing what makes you happy now (prioritize joy today); and you have to contribute to something bigger than yourself (make an impact).
If you’re thinking about starting a business, join our community to leap from thinking into acting.
You get instant access when you join our email community, and we are all excited to support you in creating the future of your dreams!
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Which of these areas do you need to focus on this month? Drop a comment below to let me know what stood out most to you, and I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines!
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