How do you describe your lifestyle? What are the important parts of it? Do you have a clear vision of it?
The picture above is a reminder of what my life is about. It’s from a beach my family visited on the island of Cozumel, Mexico.
We played in the sand, swam in the warm water, drank some of the most exotic cocktails around, and made memories together.
And when the sunset, we were ready to go home. We were happy and had made some of the most beautiful memories in our lifetimes.
To me, life is about family. That’s the purpose of my business. To spend time with my family and make the best memories we can together.
When I asked new entrepreneurs why they are starting a business, they will often tell me about the work and its meaning. I get it. Meaningful work is an essential part of life.
The purpose of starting a business is not to create meaningful work, however. The purpose of a business is to create a meaningful life. This is more important than ever given the covid-19 pandemic. With world events turning everything upside down, you need your refuge in the storm.
A business is a golden goose; the value it creates is what raises our lifestyle. We can afford a better house, take the dream vacation, pursue our favorite hobby, and most importantly, spend more time with those we love.
Don’t get the roles reversed. If your purpose in business is to create meaningful work, you’ll achieve it and become a slave to it as well. It will take every ounce of energy and every bit of time that you offer it.
After a while, you may find that the work isn’t as meaningful because of the business’s burden on you.
There’s a reason they are called “lifestyle businesses“. The business creates a better life, not a better job.
