I’ve personally been struggling with work-style of “burning the candle at both ends”.  After-all, that’s what every “future millionaire” article says to do.  Even Forbes did a story, “Want to Succeed in 2017?  Work Harder Than Everyone Else.”   The business celebrities work on Sundays.  Countless “make more money” articles focus on more working hours to produce more results.  But…when I whip out my laptop on vacation, my family asks, “Do you ever stop working?”  My doctor reads off some test result and I ask, “So, that’s good?”  His reply is “NO!  It’s very bad!”  I ignored them all.  None of them are millionaires.  What do they know?

When you’re trying to sleep, but can’t because your eye won’t stop twitching, it gets one wondering about life priorities.  About then, I needed a reminder of my core values as a human being.  When I get to that point, I often pick up The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and re-read the first few sections.  A concept hit me a bit harder than the dozen times I’ve read previously.  The fable of the Golden Goose.

A struggling farmer finds his goose has laid a solid gold egg.  Each day, the farmer collects a single golden egg from his goose.  The farmer becomes wealthy, and decides he can no longer wait.  He kills the golden goose and searches for the stock pile of golden eggs within her body.  There is nothing.  The farmer has killed the very thing that produces his wealth.  Burning the candle at both ends will kill the thing producing your wealth…YOU!

Can’t hustle deals when you’re dead!  In this interconnected world, there is hope for some much-needed help.  I, personally, decided something needed to change.  I put my son in full time daycare, hired landscapers and a housekeeper.  Several freelance staffers were added including, a website designer, coder, programmers, social media managers, SEO experts and a few more graphic designers.  I took off Fridays to finish all the housework and weekly chores so I could have a freaking weekend off occasionally.

“Doing-it-all” wasn’t on the roster anymore.  It was time to stop being a damned superhero.  I know what you’re thinking, and yes, it hits my profit margin.  Hiring great people to take over pieces of the business (and my personal life) has been incredibly beneficial.  My brochures have increased in quality and timeliness.  The websites are done beautifully and the code is absolutely flawless.  Clients are happier with the rise in quality and turn-around time, and I’m happy paying my new friends for beautifully done work.   And my house is cleaned inside and out every other week, whoo!

What I’m trying to say is, “You don’t have to go-it alone.”  Being a superhero is great in the beginning, but there comes a time when your work buries you.  Take a quote from my doctor, “You have to lower your stress!”  He prescribed yoga, (no, I’m not kidding) but that’s not what I needed.  I needed help.

I did it.  I bit the bullet and hired additional help.  I don’t regret it.  In the long run, it will be more profitable with my new workers than without.

We’re all waiting in stand-by to help you too!