How Much Should I Be Working?

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In This Episode

You may have heard that one of the benefits of owning your own business is that you get to choose which 12 hours during the day you’d like to work.  Many small business owners will crack a smile at a statement like this, in part because they know it contains some truth, but also because it’s one of the things many business owners struggle with.  Just how much should I be working?

The answer, as with most things in life, is that it depends.  It really depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.  Is there such a thing as working too much or too little?  How does your engagement and presence as the owner impact the rest of your team and their motivation to work?  If you look around you’ll find all kinds of philosophies and pundits talking about things like a 4-hour work week.  Can this really be the answer?

Maybe the trouble is we’re asking the wrong question.  Instead of worrying about how much time I should or shouldn’t be working, perhaps I should be looking for things that don’t feel like work.  Have you ever met someone who talks that way?  Perhaps it’s you.  We’ve seen too many folks who feel like they have to wait until they retire to find things they like to do.  Don’t believe it.

During the show today we shared several personal stories as well as those of clients and how they have battled to find the right balance between work and everything else.  This is one of those questions that only you can answer for yourself.  But don’t feel guilty or bad that you find great pleasure and satisfaction in your work.  Just work to find the right balance so you can continue to do it for the foreseeable future.  One goal should be to find a level of work that is sustainable.

People, Companies and Resources We Mentioned in the Show

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