One of the worst things about being a solo entrepreneur is chasing work. I dislike it. A lot. I like working, but getting work makes me feel like some kind of beggar, as if they are doing me a favor, even though I am offering them a service. I am not sure what it is with me, but I have never liked asking anyone for anything and have generally given social service away for free with no expected return - but that doesn't really cut it in terms of running a business, there has to be income coming in.
With the arrival of the new year, one of my investment plans for 2021 is to try and increase the workload in my own business a little more, as even a few hours here and there make a significant difference to my monthly income.
Hourly, I get paid well as a consultant, the trouble is getting enough hours and this isn't an area that has competition on price. The difficulty is the maintenance of relationships and this has become more difficult over the last year. I don't know if I will be able to increase my workflow, but I am willing to chase a little harder than I have been, especially since I believe that the companies I train for, get benefits for having me there. If they didn't, I wouldn't be in business - not because they wouldn't hire me, but because I am not on of those "money for nothing" kinds of people, so I literally wouldn't have my business.
I think that a lot of people in general are looking for "workless wealth" where they are able to either do something they love so much that they don't feel the work of it, or have investments that are able to return adequate wealth so that no work needs to be done. And with the "money begets money" processes, the more one has to invest, the more one will generate wealth.
While I do believe that it is good to build multiple revenue streams that include passive income as well, I also believe that something has to be done at some point that adds value into the economy, rather than just captures and extracts it from the economy. There is far too much passivity in the world as it is, with a lot of the activity being spent on the useless - like the collective outrage on the internet at whatever target the mad dog of digital society gets set upon by media suggestion.
While so many people are chasing the "dream" of outsized return on the effort in, it becomes unsustainable quickly, when there aren't enough people actually adding value. It is like everyone being on social security payments, but there isn't anyone doing anything to fill the pool that they are paid from. It just doesn't work as there is no circulation of value.
Of course, this is going to depend on what people value, where it seems there is no cap on what people will pay for entertainment consumption of media and sports, but I wonder how quickly that would change if the same consumers had no food. How much TV does a starving person watch - how much are they willing to pay for Netflix? How hard are they willing to work?
Perhaps this is part of the problem with the 4 or 5 billion people on the internet, many have never been hungry enough. They have the "luxury" of being able to spend their time outraged at whatever they see and hear, rather than finding ways to improve conditions. They think that violence is the answer to their problems, without the foresight to recognize that they will ultimately be in a worse position for it. Rather than do the work to solve their problems for an improved environment, they would rather kill the problems any way they can instead.
Violence is the tool of psychopaths and fools.
Which are you?
Violence comes in many forms of course, it isn't just physical. But another part of the issue is the self-inflicted pain that people tend to deliver themselves. Pain caused by taking things personally, even if it has nothing to do with them at all. Some random unknown on the internet says something and people get their feelings hurt and that is unacceptable and a perfect excuse to rage, kick, scream and attack. Toddler tantrums.
Need a pacifier - a blankey?
I think that a lot of the drama we see in the world is because people don't do enough. As the quote goes something like, idle hands are the devil's workshop, I think that many people have so little of real interest in their personal lives, that they live their life vicariously through the drama of others. They take part and stick a boot in when they can, in order to make themselves feel relevant, as their real world doesn't give a crap about who they are or what they do or don't do.
The funny thing is, the internet doesn't give a crap about them either, as it only focuses its attention on what grabs attention and therefore profits, and that is unlikely to be anyone from the masses - it is a celebrity, a politician, a star. An easy target because they are public and there are so many people trying to get a sliver of attention from the crowd, that there is very little risk in attacking them too. This delivers the sense of "doing something" without doing anything of consequence - the sense of "having power", while performing to the standards of a coward.
But, perhaps people just have nothing better to do with their lives, which is funny as many of them are also from the "YOLO" crowd, meaning that while they know they only love once, they prefer to spend it doing nothing useful, adding nothing of value. All they need are strong feelings and in the negative will do, because if they feel strongly about something, they believe that they must be right - which means they are living the "good" life.
You Only Live Once isn't the equivalent of Carpe diem. Seizing the day, recognizes that each day a person has the opportunity to be their best, to do their best, to add their best to the world. It understands that we don't live once, we live many lives through our lifetime as we constantly changing to be different people, giving us new capabilities, taking away others. Every day we can be reborn, make new decisions, take new directions, think new thoughts - until the very last day.
You Only Die Once.
How much of life's value will you leave on the table?
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
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I like to say, Carpe the Diem, because it butchers the grammar so beautifully.
I've had this same thought. I know people who spend 3 days on the couch watching Netflix, who claim to be poor because there's not much money in their bank account.
If they were genuinely poor they'd be out planting vegetables, lifting rocks at the beach for crabs, setting traps for pigeons or scavenging for road-kill.
Leisure time is a decadent expression of wealth which has only very recently become possible for the common folk.
Very well put. I think it is quite amazing how fast the change from the expectation of having work to the expectation of having leisure has been. For thousands of years we have understood that work is an integral part of our existence - and in the last 50, we have decided it is irrelevant.
There is a good German Rap Song on that topic
It's about how people love to get upset about all the problems in the world while ignoring the real problems in their live.
I think a lot of people are obsessed about media because it's cheap and often even free. I don't have to pay to read your content, even my upvote is optional. Netflix is 8€ a month. That's the same as a cocktail on a night out.
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As they say, nothing in this world is free. What is worse, is that people generally look at the cost of buying, not the opportunity cost of partaking.
"You only live once." I too prefer "carpe diem." In my haste to agree and reply, somehow I missed reading the second to last line of your message! I led my reply with: We should only die once. We live every day. At least, we have the opportunity to do so. I think the way many of us live our lives, we die a little bit every day. Perhaps it's a form of fear: a low-level discomfit, a growing awareness of wasting our time, our lives, a fear of irrelevance, of inadequacy? There are probably as many ways to die inside as there are people on the planet.
So, we numb ourselves with the distraction of shiny things. And Netflix. In my case, I poured myself into work; that is where I felt competent. I, too, was a freelance consultant learning some bad habits over the ten years I was self-employed, and I carried them into my employer's work when I got a job. If I was awake, I was working. Sometimes it paid off very well; other times it most certainly did not. That's a story for another day, and on the bright side, I did develop a useful work ethic that I'm now actually attempting to keep in balance with the rest of life.
I've no room for the kind of "workless wealth" which yields no benefit beyond oneself. That's a downward spiral into a useless life. I could be happy with having enough income to be able to do something I truly love that doesn't feel like work, even though the doing might require great effort, indeed, but whatever I do, it must have meaning. It comes down to the "why", doesn't it? When I'm lying on my deathbed, looking up at the ceiling, I know what kind of thoughts I want to be having, and what kind I don't. I want to smile on recalling that I did my best, that I made a difference to others. I know I'll pain at the knowledge of all my missed opportunities to bring true value to others, to have not helped when I could.
I don't have answers; it's clear I'm still trying to "figure it out" myself. I don't presume to know you well enough to give actionable advice (not that you're asking for any) to generate more income without draining yourself, but I can say I understand to some degree what you feel. Heh, I could probably give a lot of advice on what not to do!
I know that whatever you do, you will "Carpe diem!" You have a talent for writing, a talent that with much practice you have transformed into a skill. That should remain central to the value you bring to your customers.
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Yes. I think this is a large part of it and the way we spend our time chasing the approval of strangers and being outraged online quickens the degradation. Many these days raised on the internet seemingly have died before they even had a chance to live.
Sometimes it takes rock bottom to realize. Many miss it even then.
Yep.
I get the sense that a lot of people thinking about their deathbed thoughts are more concerned with how they will be remembered, rather than how they actually lived. It seems peopel are curating their life to appease the expectations of others.
I don't have answers; it's clear I'm still trying to "figure it out" myself.
The meaning of life - discovering who we are and what we are capable of.
I would like to thank you for putting in a really good comment with a lot of yourself in there. :)
Now that I had not thought of. Interesting, indeed. So very true. Focus on living that good and useful and worthwhile life, not on what praise people may offer when we're gone.
Thanks for your encouragement! I had to reply the way I did; I don't know how else to. I think a lot about how I've spent, and not spent, my time on this earth. Time goes by so quickly. Part of why I've posted so infrequently is becuase I've been careful not to share what's really on my mind. This is a public space, and a permanent one, unlike most others. Although I'm not yet "dancing like no one's watching," I'm slowly getting more comfortable sharing the personal side. I went further out on the limb today: https://leofinance.io/@clarkeveretts/all-the-alts-are-down It was hard to hit the "Publish" button.
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,,and have generally given social service away for free with no expected return - but that doesn't really cut it in terms of running a business, there has to be income coming in.''
In the past I have gifted away many of my paintings. I still don't regret giving them for free. But at times I look at the photos of those pieces and wonder: how much would I ask for this if I made it again?
,,But, perhaps people just have nothing better to do with their lives, which is funny as many of them are also from the "YOLO" crowd, meaning that while they know they only love once, they prefer to spend it doing nothing useful, adding nothing of value.''
I guess you meant they only live once. But perhaps some people also only love once. This coincidence is quite amusing because both letters are next to each other on the keyboard and both words still work with the rest of what you said.
,,How much of life's value will you leave on the table?''
I do hope that in my art I have left enough of positivity and myself( my passion, dreams, hopes, fears...My work and time.) to: 1. try to leave this world a better place than I found it. and 2. to make me perhaps not immortal(not even earth is so memory of me will sooner or later fade away)...But to cheat death. To remain even after I will turn to dust. My final Ha ha.
Yes, I meant live once - they do also likely love once too - themselves :)
I wonder if there will ever be a definitive calculation possible to evaluate a life from good to bad.
You are like me as I have never reached out and asked for help as you feel as though you are begging. I have finally gone the begging route as literally have had no choice even though I know I can help everyone save and offer a better service. I hope things come right for you and can find the hours required. Maybe after Easter things will pick up as one thing companies are doing is tightening their budgets and can imagine you would be thought of as an extra right now.
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Yeah, I am an extra, even though I will most likely make them more than then I cost several fold. Gotta try though. :)
Unfortunately they don't see it like that and this never makes economic sense. One has to continue tp persevere as there is always a chance and staying positive is hard. It takes a lot of energy and focus to remain in that mind set, but what choice do we have.
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I am glad I am not an actor, as I am not sure I could put up with quite so much rejection :D
While it is all great to follow your passion and work towards owning your personal business, it was too much work for me. At one point in my life, I had a regular job and I also ran a private educational consultancy. The hours were insane. To be honest, there were no hours I was not working. It was good money which unfortunately were gone the way they came. If only I knew about BTC. It was before that, anyway.
After a couple of years of grinding, I made a decision to go with the regular job where I don't have to grind as much. I was not looking to not work but it was definitely much easier and mundane.
I would have remain passionate with the business I developed but then it would also not let me enjoy the time I was supposed to savour. I am in a different country and a different point in my life but I still wonder I need a side hustle. I am never satisfied with the regular work I do. The job is fine but I want something where I can control what I do. Good or bad, does not matter.
Yes. It can be like this for sure and I have had periods of years where it has been. These days, I am still working a lot, plus Hive on top. It isn't for everyone.
This is why I took the second job, it gave me a little more security, meaning I didn't have the pressure to perform. I kept working my business though.
The sense of control in work is something that is hard as an employee. What often ends up happening is that employees take control of what they can, which is often why there is a lot of pettiness in offices.
My sister and I didn't mind the actual work we did with our business but the hustling I think was among the things we hated the most XD
I much prefer the work I'm doing now but that currently doesn't pay as well, maybe soon or maybe I'll be a useless leech artist forever, who knows
Begging eh, I guess that means Elon Musk and Bill Gates and all those other famous entrepreneurial types are/were beggars too ;D
I wonder what they had to do early on to get funding. Bill Gates dancing at the local strip club, Elon Musk selling weed on street corners. :D
Well not everyone starts from the bottom with small million dollar loans from thier parents XD
Some people have a hard life.... :D
@tarazkp, This world is ever changing and to grow one should evolve time to time because when we are evolving in a way we are expanding the knowledge of opportunities and current trends. Stay blessed.
Out of curiosity, what if I have been cursed?
Everyone is facing "Spiritual Battles", just strengthen your temple. If your KARMA is right then you will manifest your blessings today or tomorrow. Stay blessed.
I don't really believe in any of that stuff. There is what is and there isn't what isn't.
I agree with you. We don't know everything so everything is real and at the same time nothing is real, individual perspective is reality. Stay blessed.
And here I am, remembering that YOLO died at least five years ago. Nice revival attempt, but maybe let us not bring that one back. By DNA it turned into a drinking slogan and MEME while not being very good at either one of these.
The term died, the mindset flourished.
Especially in 2020, but in a reverse sense. COVID is around, 'yolo yourself at home', well well well...
I haven't checked the statistics, but I assume that there was an increase in depression related issues like suicide in 2020.
I heard in a podcast that the UN estimates around 400Million people will be thrown back into life-threatening poverty due to the collapse of global production lines.
That doesn't surprise me at all. Combine this with drive for faster automation of processes and it is going to get even worse, very fast.