It’s hard fucking work being the boss of yourself. Don’t get me wrong: Getting to be the boss of ME is one of the best things that ever happened in my life. But it’s also one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
And so it frustrates me beyond belief when people, who just find out that I have my own company and work for myself, say things like –
“It must be so nice”
“You’re so lucky”
“I wish I could do that”
“You must love all of the free time” (ARE YOU JOKING RIGHT NOW???)
“What do you do all day?”
“Don’t you get bored?”
And on and on.
I just get madder and madder the more they talk.
People who aren’t entrepreneurs just don’t get how being one is so hard and so fun all at the same time.
No, we don’t have someone bossing us around all day, but we work harder than anyone we know with a “regular” job.
No, we don’t have to ask for vacation time or sick days, but we work double the hours of everyone we know that does.
No, we don’t have to do work that we absolutely hate, but we still have to do tasks that aren’t fun.
No, we don’t have all the time in the world, we often have less time than most people.
No, we don’t sit on our ass watching The Bachelor and taking naps all day, we are growing an empire, and that is an all-day, every day to-do.
Entrepreneurs are some of the hardest working people I know.
They work while others sleep.
They work in the car.
They work on the plane.
They work in their sleep!
They work in the morning, afternoon, and night.
They work during small pockets of time.
They work while standing in line at the DMV.
They work during the holidays.
They work on vacations.
They work ALL the freaking time because THAT is what gets them the big results they’re after. And yes, OF COURSE they have systems and tools in place to make this easier. Yes, OF COURSE some things are automated to save them time. Yes, OF COURSE they have a team of people helping them (even if it’s just one person).
But mostly?
It’s them –
In their heads –
In the physical world –
DOING THE FREAKING WORK.
Because that’s what it takes. And deep down, that’s all they want to be doing anyway!
I am so tired of people assuming entrepreneurs have it easy. That all we do is surf Facebook and eat Doritos in our underwear while simultaneously watching Ellen and taking a daily nap on the couch.
It’s not easy.
It’s fun, yes, but it won’t always feel that way.
There will be days when you want to claw your fucking eyes out.
There will be days when you’re so tired you can’t think straight and you have to drink 6 cups of coffee just to ensure you don’t pass out before 5pm.
There will be days when you struggle to get out of bed in the morning.
There will be days when you have SO MUCH on your plate, you want to cry.
There will be days when nothing goes the way you want it to.
There will be days when you want to punch everyone that even LOOKS at you.
There will be days when you feel like a mega bitch, that everything sets you off, that your life is a big pile of steaming dog shit and you just want to run away.
There WILL be hard days. A lot of them.
It will NOT always be pretty.
It will NOT always be fun.
It will NOT always be exciting.
It will NOT always be encouraging.
But god damn it –
It will ALWAYS be worth it.
Because at the end of the day, only YOU get to choose how your life will go. You are the one in charge, you are the leader, you are the BOSS.
Which means that you get to make the rules and you get to build a business and life that you TRULY love. One that makes all of the hard stuff worth it.
I’d say that’s a pretty sweet deal, wouldn’t you?