I’m trying to be careful about this blog becoming all about cancer, when it’s supposed to be about life. I guess that for many of us however, cancer is a way of life, but I’m one of the lucky ones. Diagnosed early and treated quickly, that’s me sorted – out the other end of the medical mill with 5 years of Tamoxifen and checkups to make sure it’s not come back (gulp), and ‘Bye, see you next time’. And that’s good, don’t misunderstand me, because there are other scenarios which I’m glad I don’t have to deal with.
However, the system is now chucking me back and expecting me to do something. Hey – I’M expecting me to do something. And I do – loads of it. Trouble is that it’s not very focused and it’s not particularly productive in the cash department. I had a very interesting meeting this week with one of the Directors of Kleeneze, Michael Khatkar, and he unwittingly solved my problem. He was talking about goal setting and how you need the motivation of a tangible and tummy curdling goal to kick start you into big action and keep you going. Michael suggested sitting down with a blank piece of paper and writing out goals; how much monthly income was needed to get them; and to set a plan to achieve them in a realistic time scale. I know that’s bog standard stuff to many, but I think he may have solved my problem.
When I was diagnosed with cancer, all my dreams and aspirations melted and were remoulded as staying alive, supporting my family and getting through the operation and treatment, etc. After all, what use is a trip around the world, or a Jaccuzzi in the back parlour, when you’re too ill to enjoy it, or you’re dead? The trouble is that’s where I still am and my goals continue to be about survival, not a bed wetting zoom towards a rip roaring life with the adrenalin tingling in the scalp.
Yes, every day is precious. Yes, I’m very lucky. Yes, there’s more to life than money. Trouble is that no one is served by me being poor and living out a humdrum day to day survival of appreciation that ‘it could all have been a lot worse‘ and ‘arn’t I lucky‘, ‘stop being greedy‘. And, here’s the biggy – what’s the point of thrumping away to achieve a goal in 5-years time if I’m not going to be here?
Hell, I could step in front of a bus tomorrow, and it’s not going to veer off course just because I had a lump in my boob – so why should I veer off course just because I had a lump in my boob? Unless my biggest achievement from this point on is going to be surviving breast cancer, and I’m not sure that can sustain me for the next 40 years, then it’s time to get back to where I was with my goals, aspirations and accomplishments. Oh, and to have a bit of fun for goodness sake.
Now, where’s that paper……
I don’t want a work -life balance. I just want a life.
Who ever decided that you needed to spend 8 hours (or more for some) being seriously miserable doing something to earn the cash which you then take and pay for your basic housing needs and to fund your afterwork fun, enjoyment and peace -(if you’re lucky enough to have XXXincome).
I just wish I had understood it really was possible to do what you love all day and everyday and earn your money doing it.
I’ve spent this weekend at internet marketing seminar and I’ve been priveliged to meet two remarkable young men who have made decisions not to follow the prescribed path through exams and university and instead start their own business. I was also able to save our son from the same fate, but it was a close thing. Elliot was heading off to Uni to study Pychology. We were just having one of those ad-hoc chats which you don’t really expect to lead anywhere when I asked him why he had picked that subject. It turned out he wasn’t in love with the idea of studying the subject; wasn’t looking forward to the student lifestyle. He thought he needed to go to uni to grow a better income. A degree was just the next step forward. I started to wonder what my life could have been like if I’d thought to look left or right at other options.
When I started to suggest he rethink his decision, I don’t think anyone was more suprised than me. After all, I’d spent 10 years at uni and I’d done well using my qualifications. But the key here is that I’d done well within the confines of the narrow world I was living in. In the micro world of local government, I was a high earner. I just wasn’t a high earner as far as the business world was concerned. I was worth more than I was being paid. I was worth more than my qualifications suggested. Instead of helping me to succeed, they had held me back. The pursuit of success became the achievement of adding more qualifications to my name. What for? Recognition of some sorts. Who knows.
What I understand now is that you will never get rich working for someone else, being paid only when your bum is on the seat. You need to leverage your time. Don’t get me wrong here – you can be paid very well but you will never be rich. But what of those people who invest their money – well that’s the point isn’t it. They are taking the money they have been paid as PAYE and leveraging it by investing to accrue interest or growth. Why not just cut out the middle step and generate your income by leveraging your time in the first place.
I wish I had known about MLM -multi level marketing 20 years ago. What a fantastic system. And today the internet is opening up new opportunities for people who can gather and reprocess information for others to use. THIS could be where my years of study come into play. One thing I can sure do is take volumes of words and reorganise them into a more palatable read. (Notwithstanding that this is my freeflow waffly blog).
A golden age is upon us for becoming truly wealthy. I intend to take part.
And Elliot – the child destined for uni – well he didn’t go. He started his own business as a personal trainer (yippee – no fees, plus he earns more per hour as a new starter in business than me after 25 years in local government) . But more than that. Starting your own business, getting clients, dealing with negative feedback toughens you up a bit and I think these challenges prepared him for success when he faced the Admiratly Interview Board this year.
Well this one did ramble on a bit didn’t it.
To you and yours.
