Why Income Goals Aren’t Everything
Sometimes it feels like making money is the main goal in life and it can be easy to get carried away with creating your business plan when building a lifestyle business. Remember when you design your business, you are trying to create a lifestyle. Yes, money helps you build the lifestyle, but the lifestyle is more about experiences than it is about money.
What good is having a boatload of money if you are working 10, 12 or 14 hours a day, 7 days a week?
Your business needs to allow you the freedom to work when you want to as well as generate the living you need for that lifestyle to be an actual lifestyle-oriented business. Because your business is not just about money. It’s about what you can do with your time while still providing for yourself and your family.
Making money for money’s sake is unlikely to bring you the life you truly want.
But the fact is, having money makes everything better, so of course you should design your business so that you earn enough money to live the lifestyle of your dreams.
However, income goals aren’t everything.
More Money is Not Equal to Happiness
Even though many people will be a lot happier with more money, if you’re not happy outside of your need for more money, having the money won’t suddenly make you happy. Yes, being able to go to the dentist without blinking is a great thing that makes many people happy. But if you’re in a miserable marriage and have other issues, no amount of money is going to help.
More Time Equals More Creativity
One problem sometimes with making money is the time it takes from your real life. Believe it or not, making money isn’t really your real life. It is just a way to allow you to live your real life,
Spending time with your family, friends, and loved ones is real life. Going on a hike in the mountains is real life. Taking your kids to the park for a beautiful afternoon and having a picnic without worry that you won’t be able to pay for those things is real freedom.
More Balance Improves Productivity![life work balance]()
Something amazing happens when you design your life to consider your time freedom…
You become more creative.
When you can be the ‘idea’ person and then turn it over to your team, the type of business you can build is truly unlimited.
Enjoy What You Have
What’s the fun in having a huge house, several cars, and nice things if you have no time to enjoy them? If the only people getting to enjoy them are your kids and family, what’s the point? Sure, it’s nice to watch them enjoy it, no doubt. But your life is here for you to enjoy it – not to work for others 24/7.
Does this sound selfish to you?
It is not. Part of family is being there for each other and if you are always working you are not there for them. If you work yourself into illness, you will not be there for them either. You must take care of yourself as well.
Time Freedom Helps You Avoid Burnout
If you’ve ever worked a standard 40 hour a week job, you know that it’s entirely possible, even with a strict 40-hour workweek, to suffer burn out. It’s not even about the work. It’s really about the lack of balance in life. If you have nothing but work to look forward to, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and burn out.
Life is About More Than Making Money
In our modern world, you need money. However, you probably don’t need as much as you think to enjoy the lifestyle you want to live. For example, one woman, Todra Payne from TravelLiveBreathe.com, admittedly doesn’t have a lot of money. Yet, she lives a lavish lifestyle of travel that most people would not believe is real as a worldwide house and pet sitter (cats only). She loves her life and lives the life of her dreams without tons of money.
Sure, money can really help you enjoy your life more because you’re not worried about how to get Jack a cast after he breaks his leg, or how to help Suzie get tutoring so she can master her college entrance exam, or that your house is in a safe neighborhood.
Some people think money is evil. It’s not. Having money is fabulous, but it’s not more important than your time once you can meet your necessities.
