I’m my own boss.
It’s great. I love what I do. I love investing in my team. I love strategy. I love the entire process of business ownership.
I am also accountable to no one, which means that if I want to pack up and go on a survivalist adventure tomorrow, I *sort of* can, at least in the sense that there is no one to stop me from doing so.
The downside? It’s easy to avoid the parts of the business that don’t light me up, to ignore the very things that will increase my financial and personal success.
When you don’t have a boss, you don’t have deadlines made for you. You don’t have the external pressure of knowing you have to get something done to avoid repercussions. Of course, there are still “due dates” and “best bys” but most of the time I’m working at the pace I want to work.
Luckily, I adore what I do.
But what if I didn’t? Or I’m not feeling up to it? Or what if, like most of us, I have other interests I want to pursue?
Distractions are everywhere, and even though I am beyond passionate about my path in this world, I’m as prone to them as anyone.
That’s why I need deadlines. Not arbitrary deadlines, where I tell myself “I’ll get this done by Friday” but hard deadlines.
I wrote this a few days before leaving on the adventure of a lifetime and never have I been more focused, productive, and outcome-driven. The hard deadline has:
Pushed me to look further ahead – Two half days a week. Every week. Dedicated to working on the business.
Plan methodically – What will my team need while I’m away? Where are my blind spots? Ask them! And then deliver on what they need.
Delegate relentlessly – Empower. Equip. Trust. Use the time to develop our culture and build our team the way we want it. Connect with our mission and purpose. Keep it front of mind at all times.
All of us are unique in what we prioritize, what’s important to us, and what keeps us accountable. And that’s the work that can’t be delegated. That knowledge is unique to you. Go in search of it.
I have a hard deadline, no contact with the outside world for 18 days as I go exploring outback Australia.
What would inspire you to create a meaningful deadline in your life? What do you value most and why?
This is an essential process for anyone who bills by the minute and gets paid by the hour.
Reconnect with your values and discover the way to breaking down barriers between you and your freedom.
