I am still a little surprised (in a good way), by the choice I made 16 months ago – leaving my job and leaping into full-time Self-employment. While I was employed, I also had two side-hustle businesses, and it was time to lean into them fulltime. It was the first time in my 20+ year career that I stepped away from the security of a full-time job with a guaranteed paycheque, and a traditional ‘office’. My home was now ‘business central’.
With any career change, there also comes new norms, new rituals, new ways of thinking and being. As I reflect on my first full year as a home-based business and consider the many differences from then and now, I realize my way of ‘being and thinking’ has dramatically changed. Quite simply, it had to.
Throughout my journey, a few truths emerged. I had to decide how I want to ‘show up’. When it comes to learning, I believe ‘sooner rather than later’, is always better.
If you’ll indulge me for a 5-minute read, I’d like to share them with you, with the hope that a little nugget of learned wisdom might resonate.
Here we go…..
Truth #1: Maintain good sleep habits.
Adequate sleep is essential to your health, yet it is abused in alarming ways in entrepreneurship. We are bombarded with expectations of an “all-in, all-the-time” culture, and for some bizarre reason, sleep is the first thing that gets tossed. It is both shocking and disheartening. During this past year, I have realized how critical good sleep hygiene is for me. A book I read recently titled, “Why We Sleep – Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams” has completely transformed how I regard my sleep. My 8 hours have become a non-negotiable.
It’s a simple truth – without a healthy sleep routine we are; irritable, lack focus, have a weakened immune system, reduced creativity, reduced ability to concentrate, and so on. Research confirms the benefits of good sleep, as well as the harmful effects of sleep deprivation, yet society often applauds those who regularly “burn the midnight oil”.
Armed with this knowledge, I now protect my sleep. I mean, fiercely protect it. It’s my new way of being. I encourage you to also commit to a healthy sleep routine. You’re worth it. Your business is worth it too.
Truth #2: Use time with intention.
Time is a non-renewable resource. What has been used, can never be replaced. It’s gone.
We all choose how we spend our time and we must choose wisely. As a home-based business, this requires a deep sense of self-awareness, and steady, unrelenting self-discipline and focus on our goals and purpose. It’s easy to get distracted with shiny things but staying focused and on task is essential for our success.
For some Time Management tips, check out this best seller, “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity”
Truth #3: It’s ok to say NO.
If it doesn’t serve our purpose and new reality as a self-employed person, just say ‘No thanks’ or “Sorry, I can’t”. And guess what? You don’t have to explain it.
Elements of our former careers can easily creep into our new self-employed reality and we may feel pulled in every direction. I get that there are some aspects (the good stuff, the fun stuff), that can tempt us, and we feel a little tinge of FOMO (fear of missing out). But here’s the thing….YOU decide how YOU spend your time. Every. Single. Day.
It’s important to recommit to our self-employed purpose and make choices that reflect and serve our new career choice in the best possible way. It’s hard I know, but our success depends on it.
On the flip side, it also requires self-discipline about what we say YES to. It’s important to remember that every time we say YES to something, we inadvertently say NO to something else. Opportunity costs can be expensive. It’s simple in theory…say NO when it doesn’t serve our purpose, and YES when it does. But I assure you it’s much harder in practice. A hard, yet simple truth.
An interesting book to check out on this topic is, “How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty: And Say Yes to More Time, and What Matters Most to You”
Truth #4: Be smart about the time spent on social media.
This ties into #2 above. Yes, social media is important in any business, and when done strategically and with intention, it can indeed serve us well. However, we all know how easy it is to get lost in the never-ending scrolling, liking, viewing, commenting, sharing, and scrolling some more. Before we realize it, we’ve spent the better part of the morning in a social media abyss. This can be compounded by the fact that our personal and business lives are often so intertwined and neatly woven together, it can be hard to separate the two. This is especially true when it comes to social media.
It’s easy to rationalize the time we spend on social media as ‘good for our business.’ But unless our business is directly related to Social Media, we are just fooling ourselves. Like other business responsibilities, Social Media has a time and place. To help avoid distraction and any temptation to be on social media with reckless abandon, I simply close my social media accounts when I am not specifically ‘working on’ my social media.
Truth #5: Get fresh air.
It may sound like a no-brainer, but sometimes we need to be reminded of this simple truth and make the effort to get outside and breathe in the FREE benefits of mother nature. If we are working from home, we are no longer commuting to work. The commute, along with impromptu lunch dates with colleagues, running errands on a break, etc. are daily rituals we no longer have. We are missing out on that built-in fresh air opportunity this daily routine provided. Remember the expression, too much of a good thing? Well, that applies here. It’s easy to spend countless hours working inside, and not realize you are missing out on a fresh air treat. The benefits of fresh air are widely known, so we need to make time for this in our new daily routines. I enjoy my first-morning coffee on my patio. No electronics, just me, my coffee, and all that rejuvenating fresh air. The chirping birds are also a nice bonus.
As I enter my 17th month in my journey as a self-employed home-based business, I have learned a few truths along the way. Throughout my journey, I remain immensely grateful for my choice and continue to be inspired to be better and do better every day.
If you are a home-based business or self-employed, I’d love to hear some of your discovered truths.
With much and continued gratitude,
“Always Try. Trying, no matter the outcome is always better than regretting.”
Natalie Ducey says
Thanks for sharing your entrepreneurial journey with us, Nicole. I can relate to all your key points. It’s a learning process for sure, but so worth it to be able to follow our passion. Living an authentic life with gratitude for the journey is an amazing feeling. Cheers to that! 🙂
Nicole Osmond says
My pleasure Natalie. Wonderful to hear that you also relate to these points. Keep enjoying the journey!
With gratitude, always
Nicole
Emmie says
Well that was an interesting read! Congrats on jumping head first into entrepreneurship!
A problem area for me is the sleep aspect. I appear to be a night owl and do some of my best work later in the evening but my sleep suffers because of this. I’m going to check out the book you suggested in hopes that it will help.
Thanks very much for sharing your thoughts and ideas, I look forward to your future blogs as there is always something to learn!
Nicole Osmond says
Thanks so much Emmie. I really appreciate your interest and your comments. I hope you enjoy the book. It truly was a game changer for me.
With gratitude, always,
Nicole