When Will You Give Yourself Permission To Do Meaningful Work?

I used to look at my schedule full of calls with my team and feel a sense of dread.

I didn’t get engaged from my work anymore. It felt like going through the motions.

I wanted to shift to doing work that was meaningful and made a difference. But I had zero time to devote to it.

People told me I was crazy for feeling this way. I had a house flipping business that was doing over 1M/year in revenue. I had a team of 8 employees and a great business partner. I had a few dozen rental properties.

What more could anyone want?

I had started that business with one goal: financial freedom.

After reading “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” while working at a grocery store, I craved a life where my passive income covered my bills.

After working hard for about 7 years as an investor, I achieved that goal.

Beyond that point, making more money didn’t excite me. I wanted to be a teacher, author, or a coach. I wanted to do something that allowed me to help people.

At the same time, I was scared to shut down the business that made me financially successful.

Was I being stupid for wanting to kill it off?

I had already been putting my dream of being a writer and a coach on the back burner for years.

Every so often I’d dust off the ole’ dream and do some writing or coach a friend for free.

Not long after, I’d tell myself:

“I don’t really have time to focus on this right now, but I’ll do it once the business calms down”.

But that thing inside me just kept coming back, over and over. Resurfacing its head above water. Reminding me that I had more important work to do.

There’s a quote by Winston Churchill, which goes:

“To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.”

To his words unprepared or unqualified, I’d add “unavailable”, since so many people who have a message to share are (like I was) consumed by another business.

Sometimes you have to face the music, and for me that meant having the uncomfortable conversation with my business partner about how I didn’t want to continue, telling my spouse that I wanted to take a bold risk, and then starting the lengthy process of untangling myself from my business.

I was also dealing with the fear of not knowing if my new business would work.

Would I make a difference in anyone’s life? Would that business make money, too?

But I had to take the risk.

If I hadn’t, my soul would never have forgave me.

As it turned out, I had a lot of skills I was able to take with me to my new business of coaching others. I had learned more than I gave myself credit for - about marketing, sales, and delegation.

I was able to take the best parts of what I had learned in my first business, and leave behind everything that no longer served me.

What I didn’t factor in was enthusiasm. I learned that being 10 times more excited and enthusiastic about my work made a bigger difference than anything else.

My health and happiness improved. My finances stayed healthy. I started each day with anticipation. Procrastination faded away.

I ended each day feeling accomplished. Creatively stimulated. Like I did something that would have a positive ripple effect on the lives of others. All I ever wanted.

In hindsight, I made way too big of a deal about making the jump. I overvalued the existing business. I clung for too long.

If you’re a financially successful entrepreneur who craves more meaning in your work, I’m here to tell you that you deserve to do work that is meaningful. We all do.

But, no one is going to come along and give you that opportunity. You have to decide that it’s important enough, and that now is the time. You have to reach out and grab it. Even though most people won’t understand.

Getting the courage to make the leap is one thing we address in my 6 week 1:1 program that takes successful entrepreneurs who no longer get inspired by making more money and want to build a business that allows them to share their voice, help others, and have a lot more fun.

We also cover putting together the roadmap for your business, designing your program, as well as how to create content that resonates with your audience but is also a good fit for your personality.

If this resonates, shoot me a DM and we can discuss whether or not it would be a fit for you!