thegarrityfile.com

I spend a lot of my time on personal and professional development. For me, there is little distinction. Especially as a small business, and one that sells “intangible” and “invisible” services, you are your brand, your human resources and your capital.

This is why it is so important, if you want to be in business for yourself, to build your business around what you love and are interested in, versus what will make you the most amount of money in the shortest amount of time. That model may work for some, but it won’t get me out of bed in the morning! Too much like a so-called real job. There are many examples of highly successful, and wealthy people who work every day, doing what they love.

There is a great story in Seth Godin’s new book Tribes - beginning with this quote: Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from.

He talks about being on vacation and unable to sleep one night, and going down to the hotel lobby to check email. He overhears a couple talking about how sad it is that he can’t tear himself away from work long enough to truly enjoy his vacation. But the truth for him is that he loves his work, and does not see it as an interruption in life.

Building your business as part of your life, purpose and what gets you fired up is not only possible, it can be surprisingly simple once you deprogram yourself from all the conditioning that equates success with things like: obligation, paying dues, working yourself ragged, sucking it up, putting in your time doing something you hate.