Professional Life Pledge

“I want to have more free time to spend with my family.”  “I want to be able to take vacations and not feel like my income is tied to a 9-5 job.”  “I want to be free to create and pursue my passion.” “I want to change the world.”  “I want to build wealth.”  If any of the above were the dreams that led you into entrepreneurship, are they still what is driving you?  Many along the way have found that the dream of owning a business has become the reality of a business owning them. 
There is a delicate balance between professional and personal that must be maintained when you own a business.  I know because I have been there.  As the owner of a successful business for over 20 years I have had to stop and do some goal inventories over the years to make sure that my business is not taking over the life that I thought it would support.  I didn’t want to lose my family, joy or my passion in the stress of building my business.  I wanted professional success and personal fulfillment at the same time.
I have found that too many business owners don’t pay themselves.  They are starving themselves to feed their business.  They don’t take time off of their business to do the things they said they wanted to do.  The family time and the vacation time get neglected because they are trying to build the business.  There is the thought that one day in the future; after the business is “built” they will get back to the original goals.  This narrative is dangerous.  I have found that a business, like your child is never fully grown.  You always feel the need to keep working on it, improving it, adding to it, or just supporting it. It’s always going to be your baby, in need of attention, at least until you sell it or it has another owner.
Don’t get stuck in that narrative.  Learn, even as your business is in its infancy how to balance attention to its growth and keeping your focus on the reasons you wanted to be an entrepreneur in the first place.  As a Professional Life Strategist I focus on how you can pursue one (Profession) and not lose the other (Life).  If you are concerned that you may be losing your balance let me help you get back to what is important so that you can have success both professionally and personally.