“The most enfeebling of emotions is regret.”  ~ Dean Ache Son

Instead of “making do” and “grinding it out” look to focusing your attention on lifestyle design. As I got older and wiser I recognized the value of goal setting and figured out what I truly wanted. On my shortlist was more time with family and a partial solution was mini vacations. My family would stretch out a weekend by tacking on an extra day or two. We enjoyed visits to other states, camping trips, and reconnecting with old friends now living away from our community. 

Having a business model which is designed to allow me the most flexibility has been a huge win toward a lifestyle design that opens up more time for leisure. Using email, cell phones, and call forwarding allowed me to continue much of my business away from the office. 

I’ve fielded business calls driving across Kansas and Nebraska, negotiated deals while hiking and solved business challenges while drinking a beer back at the mountain cabin. Sure, I would rather be completely disconnected from my work, but this was a big improvement, gave me more time with loved ones, and was a definite lifestyle improvement. 

The big shift had come in my attitude. If I missed some deals (which I did), it was now okay. Neither my business nor my customers owned me. I decided that I had a right to my life, and my family had a right to my presence. While all this was a process, once conquered, it became incredibly liberating and has made for a much happier life. 

Give it a try. Find ways to run your business more remotely as you build mini-vacations into your life. If it doesn’t work, you can always go back to the old grind. The odds are, if you’re serious about getting a life, you can find ways to spend more time with your family. You just have to get serious about it. It’s worth the work and you’ll find yourself getting a life.

“Where attention goes, energy flows and results show.”  ~ T. Harv Elker