I just wrapped up a coaching call with my coach and, while I had many wins to celebrate that I’m proud of over the last year, one of them is easy to quantify and I wanted to share it with you.
I made $1,000 less in 2013 than I did in 2012.
Yep, that’s it. Not what you’d expect, is it? But you may not realize how big of a win this truly is for me.
You see, in 2012, I worked about 70 hours a week. I worked every day, all day long. Sometimes, I didn’t leave my apartment for days. I worked hard. I loved what I did so that made it an easy pattern to be in and yet I knew it wasn’t healthy and I longed for more in my life.
I decided to begin making some changes. I started going to bed earlier and getting up earlier so I could achieve my goal of being able to play at night, once spring arrived, instead of working all the time. I wanted to be out in nature and soaking up the sun and enjoying life.
I achieved that goal and stopped working evenings and then weekends soon followed.
In late summer, I began caring for my grandson two days a week. That meant I had to fit all my work into 3 days a week. I had to get super productive, exercise better boundaries and prioritize. I had to let some things go because other things were more important to me. I was worried about the impact this would have and thought I’d just go back to working some evenings and weekends, if I needed to, but I didn’t.
If someone had told me this was possible, I would have never believed them. Make the same thing in 24 hours a week as I made in 70? Not possible. But I discovered it is. I love the freedom I have. I love the choices I have in my life. I love knowing that I can make things happen, when I set my mind to it.
I also love knowing that this is possible for all of us. It’s possible for you…today.
What is it you desire? What will motivate you to make those positive shifts in your life? What will give you peace in your heart?
I’d love to hear about your successes AND your upcoming goals for 2014 below. I hope you’ll take a moment to share.
I’m so glad you were able to let go ofo your need to work all day, and it didn’t cost you any money. Great achievement!
This is really inspiring, Michele. I’d love to hear more of the nuts-and-bolts of how you changed your working life (and your whole life!) in such a marvelous way.
Hi Harmony,
I will share some through our upcoming ecourse in the Be Inspired U membership program (http://beinspiredu.com), if that’s something you’d be interested in. It’s based on the book, Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham and was truly instrumental in some of the changes I made. Life affirming in ways and completely new perspectives in other ways 🙂 Otherwise, I’ll continue to share pieces here as well.
Such an inspiring lesson in how ‘less-can-sometimes-be-so-much-more’. Sounds like you found a new sense of freedom and balance this past year. Looking forward to what’s to come in this…:-)!
I have found a wonderful sense of freedom and balance…balance in terms of holding what’s dear to me close and weeding out what no longer serves me 🙂 We’ll be talking about this in our next ecourse through the membership program! I can’t wait to share more!!
So fabulous that you have been able to live a more enjoyable lifestlye. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
It is all about that! I love where I’m at and can’t wait for my upcoming move which I think is just going to do even more for me!!
I love this, Michele. Wow. That is great! I have watched you this year doing this and you do seem a lot happier! How great!
My big win for 2013 was QUITTING MY JOB. YES. yesyesyesyes. With my new job only a mile and a half away (vs. a one hour commute), I am so excited. Also excited for the possibilities that this new venture opens up for me.
So happy for you. Yeah. 2014 is going to be a GREAT year, I can feel it! And now you will even be in that place you’ve been dreaming about! 🙂
It is going to be so great for all of us! I can’t wait to watch you unfold with your new job 🙂
Wow!!! What an accomplishment. Congrats to you and your new happier life. I hope to have success like that in the future when I officially get my LMT license.
Thanks, Tiffany! I’m sure you will have all the success and happiness you desire 🙂
Your scenario sounds like me….ten years ago I let go of my own company Spencer Paint and Landscape with a dream to work from my home and not have to be on the road traveling to and from clients and commercial properties all the time. Always at their beacon call and always under deadlines, I had, had enough. I moved into a space in my life that was all about working from 9 to 4 with no weekends, instead of working from sun up to sun down and sometimes working completely through the night needing to meet deadlines for commercial painting jobs. I was terrified at first, but like you Michele, I found I made about the same amount of money the first year. And every year since, it has increased, allowing total freedom to do what I want in my day. I’ve also continuely decreased my hours. I now work more in the lines of 4 maybe 5 hours a day. 🙂
It’s it wonderful how much we can accomplish when we set our minds to it?!
I don’t know either, Naomi, why that would be so foreign to us. It is so freeing and makes life so much more fun!!
Congratulations on your new work week! Way to go!!!
Thanks! I love it!!
How freeing to let yourself find pleasure in your life. I don’t know why that is so foreign to us!