“You Have to Work Your Tail Off”

Ever finish a week of work and feel like you’ve been through the spin cycle of your washing machine??

Ten-hour days and you’re still logging on to work over the weekend. But you’re dedicated to the success of your business, so you shoulder the load, figuring that if you just keep working harder, you’ll get the growth you want.

That’s what most people do. And unfortunately most people…struggle to grow their businesses too.

Is that logical?

Just think about the math.

If you’re making $167,000 a year and want instead to make $1.67 million, can you really work ten times harder?

Most people put their dreams on hold, telling themselves that at some point in the future, when they’re 60 or 70 they’ll slow down and have more time to enjoy life.

Yikes! Is that what you really want to do? Work like a dog and wait for decades and decades to have time to do the things you love?

Of course not!

I went through a phase where I thought the same thing. My business had grown to a point where I was bringing in a decent six-figure income. I’d convinced myself that if I just worked harder, I could keep it growing.

The problem was that I was already working 6 days a week and more hours than I care to admit. I had become a workaholic, was perpetually frustrated and my dear wife heard about it all too often.

With a home in Greenwich, Connecticut and one in the mountains of Vermont, it seemed I’d attained business success. But I was working too hard to enjoy these beautiful places with my family and friends.?

I was my own Boss from Hell, spending most of my waking hours working. I knew there must be a better solution… That there was an alternative to working harder but to tell you the truth, my own mindset was limiting the growth of my business.

Finally, after the 107th time my wife suggested it, I made a mental leap and reorganized my business so I could spend more time doing what really makes me happy. I chose to spend alternate weeks in the winter in Vermont, skiing in the morning and working afternoons. During the rest of the year, I made spending time with my family and getting out on my bike or in my kayak for at least an hour a day a priority.

So what happened to my business when I opted to make more time for fun?

Just by changing my role to focus on the work I loved and delegate the rest, I was able to increase my revenue and profits by well over 100% the first year and have more time to enjoy life.

What does this mean for you? Should you kick back and spend your workweek on the couch? Obviously, being a sloth isn’t the solution. But neither is working harder.

Growing and scaling your business is about working smarter, not harder, so you see a dramatic increase in profits while carving out more time to enjoy life.

Isn’t that what you want? To scale your business and have more time for fun?

Let’s talk.

? 2023 Charlie Cook