The work/time/money matrix

The solitaire thread got me thinking: When other people are strategizing about solitaire, I realize I've made some poor life decisions.

I can't fathom doing something just to kill time. My back logged to-do list is so long that there's never time to kill. I finally gave up on racing this year after struggling to ride 3-4 times a year and race 1-2.

When I started racing, I couldn't afford it. I left my job and started my own company in large part because I wanted more money to go racing. I even called the business Apex. I've since started two more companies, and although I'm pleased with my income and can finally afford to do what I've always wanted, I have no time.

I took last weekend off and I'm struggling with guilt and being overwhelmed all week. It always seems like somehow 48 hours out of the office results in 90 hours of extra work. It doesn't even make sense.

There are some pretty successful people here who race, have other hobbies, and post on the beeb a LOT. I'm not hating on anyone at all, I think it's awesome. If you've found a way to be productive and valuable and have time left to spare, you're doing it right.

What's the secret? Delegate? Prioritize? Automate? Maybe just bite less and chew more? I'm curious how some of you manage your lives, especially those of you with families. Holy shit, how do you fit that in??

 

The problem with most business owners is they're really business employees. Be an owner.

 

What kind of businesses? If you sat down and figured how much you make an hour, how close are you to minimum wage?

 

I was one of the owners of a $25+ million dollar a year construction company, but by the time I reached middle age I realized that life was passing me by and I wasn't enjoying any of it. I sold my share of the company in 2005 when I was 45 years old and I've never looked back. I went on many life changing vacations with my family and seeing how these experiences have influenced my kids I couldn't be happier. I got back into racing about 7 years ago and even brought my son along to try it out. I'm currently working as a project manager for a friend that has his own construction company; I come in at 6:30 and leave at 3:30...and any issue that happens at the office stays at the office. I can take off to race or go wherever pretty much anytime I want.

Yeah, I'm not pulling in big 6 figures like I used to but I could care less. I've got pretty much every bit of crap that a person could want (except I still want a 911!). I will admit that I have a wife that pulls in the big money now, but she's always been a workaholic so she can have at it as far as I'm concerned. So I do have that comfort factor with her salary.

 

You're absolutely correct. I would guess that describes nine out of 10. I definitely struggled with that for years, but I'm no longer in the trenches, so to speak.

My time is spent strategizing, developing systems, marketing, financial planning, forecasting, etc. The dream is that it eventually pays off, and the workload lessens.

 

Not even close, thank God.

But I get your point. There are a lot of owners who could probably double their hourly income by getting a job.

I have the HVAC company, a business that distributes point of use water purification systems, and a budding consulting firm. The last one is in its infancy, which is part of the reason for the workload.

I'm being kind of a baby about this, because I really do enjoy working. It's just been a frustrating few months.

 

Hire good people to run the HVAC and Purification firms and focus on the consulting. Having a large income is pointless if you can't enjoy the fruits of your labor.

 

Be able to get paid for what you know, not what you do.

I can't speak for anyone else, but that is my "secret".

There are few people in the entire drilling industry with my background, knowledge, experience, etc when it comes to Drilling, Well Control, Blowout Prevention Systems and their associated Control Systems (Multiplex and Conventional). I would put my resume up against anyone's in the industry. I don't get paid for how productive I am in a work day; I am paid for what I know, the things I can troubleshoot, the things I can plan/organize, and what I can do/figure out/handle if shit hits the fan.

There is rarely, as in maybe once every 6 months or some shit, where I have a specific task I have to do and it has to be done within a specific timeframe. Like, I honestly can't remember the last time I thought "I have got to get this done today". There are things I have to check on/arrange/etc, but I can do them now, tomorrow, next week, before I go tee off, or after I get back.

 

All of the above. It sounds like the first two of the businesses that you listed are pretty well established. Hire the right people to get those going on auto-pilot.

I'm assuming that these are all related to the consulting firm in it's infancy, correct? You'll probably want to remain deeply involved with strategizing and developing systems, but the rest of that sounds like you can delegate. The reason I say that is because those tasks listed above are exactly what I do at my job lol. I put in many hours so I can sit down with the boss for an hour a week and give him all of the information that he needs, and we proceed from there.

 

What are your goals? LIFE goals.

When I started this business my goal was to amass enough savings that I would be able to shove off from the dock at 42. It didn't work out that way. Instead, I've done well financially, but not THAT well. Instead, I have a company that I really enjoy and am excited to tackle each day. I had to reassess my goals and decided that I needed to have more balance in my life versus how I had been doing things. This worked well and like RD400, I've had some awesome times with my kids. It is sometimes a moving target and it is highly linked to your age. At this point, I would be satisfied living in small camper in the Utah desert, yet money seems to come easier than it did when I was doing 7 days.

 

I have the opposite problem. I'm at work way too much and don't have shit to do. The problem is I have to be there.

I really maybe "work" less than 12 hours a week. But I'm there for 50. It sucks. I'm top in sales typically but it makes me want to go do something else.

 

We're thinking alike

One of the places I got to take my kids a few times was southern Utah. I saw little places around Kanab, Escalante and Torrey that I would move to tomorrow. Just need to wrap a few things up in the next couple of years and I hope to be headed out there.

 

hm, subscribed

 

Winning.

 

Money isn't the end all be all (it does make life easier and more comfortable) and when you die none of what you did matters anyways. Do what you love, love those around you and enjoy your life. Working to die with a bag of money isn't worth it. Waking up everyday, being inspired to be better and do better and appreciating what you have and what you're doing is worth it.

And before anyone argue that leaving all of your money to your children or spouse after you die is worth it, just get a damn life insurance policy.

 

Ahhhhhhh.......Escalante. Did you go to the grocery store? Its the type that has wooden shelves and about 8 aisles. Two kids (probably 10 and 8 y.o.) were running the register the day that I blowed in. Mom was in the back stocking shelves. EHS graduated 9 that year. My kind of town, about 1/2 the size of Mayberry.

 

Yep, sure did! We stayed there two nights in this quaint little hotel that was towards the top of the street...overlooking the town. Just beautiful!

 

I have started to think about life away from work. Sam made me do some vacations with her and my daughter (I went kicking and screaming) and now I actually look forward to them and not thinking about work. This year my daughter discovered lacrosse and that reawakened my love for that sport to the point I'm looking for an old fat man league to play in but I still prefer taking her to practice and working with her to improve her game. I've come to really enjoy trying to build the ultimate (for me) lacrosse stick. I also still really enjoy the watch thing. Then there's the BBS. lol!

I didn't really have any hobbies (no garage to build shit I wanted) and didn't really care about anything but my family and work. Boy was I wrong.

 

Swim Wide Hollow? It's one of the best.

 

4 hour work week did wonders for me...