WOW #010: Freedom On Your Terms

Quote of the Week:
“True freedom is about becoming free from everything, including yourself."
- Sadhguru

I was really looking forward to the Fall after a long Summer of unprecedented heat.

This August we discovered mold in our house, which in retrospect, wasn't too surprising when you consider:

• The soupy, humidity-filled Summer days
• Howling air conditioners working overtime to keep up

Our insurance company scheduled a "mold expert" to survey the damage, and I had the chance to chat with him as we walked the length of the house, surveying problem areas.

His accent was distinctly Irish and he mentioned that he had moved to the States after college in Ireland, and then...never returned home (for good, that is). Not knowing exactly how his life would unfold, he ended up...

Meeting his wife.
Becoming a father (twice).
Starting and growing a solo business.
Landing a few major insurance carrier deals.
Declining offers at much larger companies.

I asked him what his main motivation was for continuing to work for himself through all the major life events and decades that passed.

"Freedom," he said. "I could never see myself giving up my freedom."

The word freedom in and of itself has a way of conjuring up thoughts of Mel Gibson's Braveheart, and while it's easy to make that connection, it's a little less obvious to make the other connection Sadghuru mentions in his quote, (freedom from ourselves).

But the more I think about it, the two-way street of freedom embodies what One-Person Businesses (OPBs) and Small Businesses are all about.

Freedom from ourselves is about being our truest version, accepting our flaws, never giving up hope or being too hard on ourselves (or the businesses we own).

4 Words: Freedom From, Freedom To:
Freedom From....Working for someone else on their terms.

Freedom To....Test your expertise and worth in the market.

Freedom From....A job or career that's just a means to an end.

Freedom To....Build the life and work you always imagined.

Freedom very well might be the ultimate representation of wealth. It isn't just about wads of cash and bank accounts (although that certainly plays a part). Freedom from ourselves pays interest and dividends for years to come. 

It helps you power through the tough days of business ownership.

Freedom is about exercising the opportunity to showcase your full self through the work you've created, the knowledge you've built up, and the service you give to others.

And in keeping with the Irish theme, there's this reminder:

"If you don't get everything you want, think of the things you don't get that you don't want."
- Oscar Wilde

How is the freedom equation working for your One-Person Business these days?

Are you achieving what you have set out to accomplish while also detaching from harmful aspects (greed, ego, judgment)?

3 Takeaways:

1. The Right to Choose. The world is full of OPBs working around the clock, never taking their foot off the gas. Conversely, there are plenty of OPBs who use the concept of "enough" as a guiding principle. Seasons change and sweltering Summers become comfy Falls. Are the work and demands of your OPB trending in the direction of the ideal state you drew up? If not, why not? Freedom is Choice.
   
   

2. Take the 25th Hour Test. What would you do with a 25th Hour? Cook? Read a book? Sleep? Volunteer? Yoga? (the point is, "work more" rarely ever makes the list when analyzing results from previous surveys). It is human nature to worry and be anxious during idle times when you're not working, but there are better ways to spend that time.  

3. Bucket work tasks into 4 quadrants. 
   1) Tasks you are good at and enjoy doing, 2) Tasks you are good at, but don't like, 3) Tasks you are bad at, yet enjoy doing, 4) Tasks you are bad at, and don't like doing. Be open and honest. Remember, freedom as a one-person business is a judgment free zone.

1 Action:

Outsource tasks. Never outsource your freedom.  
Every One-Person Business has tasks, projects, and weekly deliverables that rob you in some way, shape or form. It might be time...or peace of mind? It might even be your joy. For this week's action, go back to Takeaway #3 above and plot 10 or more repetitive, weekly tasks into the 4 quadrants above. You may already be outsourcing tasks now, but if you aren't - now is a good time to take inventory as you plan for 2024.

As always, thanks for reading and being a valued subscriber!

Enjoy the Fall weather and see you next Wednesday,

Hubert