I am NOT, by nature, a work-a-holic. As a matter of fact, it took years of adulthood to learn and gain some self-awareness that while I can be energetic and tireless with things I enjoy doing, I am not so good at banging away at work that I do not feel inspired by. In my dream world, I would definitely work—but I do not want to have to work THAT hard.
I do not, however, come from a heritage or belief system that supports slacking. Raised in a solidly working-class family where everyone always worked—males and females alike, there was a great deal of focus on hard, steady work. BUT, there was also a focus on play and family and friends. As an adult, I have met plenty of people who are completely driven and focused on making money and acquiring wealth and prosperity—many of these people are also very hard and dedicated workers. There have been a few rare folks, however, who were focused on wealth and prosperity—but they didn’t want to work themselves to death for it either. These few have become my inspiration.
I think owning and operating a home business can be a perfect solution for those of us who need to be productive and are motivated to work—but we also don’t want to have things get all skewed and out of balance. A home business can be the perfect venue for working—hard or not as hard as we want—and taking care of other priorities too. The tough part is wrestling with the guilt and external expectations that can make it tough to hear our own voice and make work and business decisions based on the lifestyle we genuinely and authentically want. Besides, what is wrong with working hard one week and taking it easier the next? Or only working half days and spending the rest with family? If you can shake the belief systems that dictate hard, tireless work at the exclusion of everything else—you can free yourself to live the life you want.
See Also: Every Business Has a “Voice”
Do You Feel Like You’re Stealing Time From Your Business?