We just celebrated our nation’s Freedom Day. What could be better than celebrating with barbecues and fireworks?
Fireworks by Paul Brennan via publicdomainpictures.net
We Americans love our freedoms; our Independence Day echoes throughout our culture. We celebrate
- Tax Freedom Day
- TGIF
- Your Number/Retirement Date
- Braveheart https://youtu.be/lEOOZDbMrgE?t=1m14s
“Independence!” cry many entrepreneurs.
It’s what drives us to open our own businesses. We want to build something of lasting value for ourselves and our loved ones.
But, here’s the dilemma facing every business owner: How can I keep doing what I’m doing and work ON, rather than IN, my business? Echoing the feelings of many business owners I meet, one owner related to me last week that he keeps running hard because he believes he has no alternative—that there’s no “four hour week” or “freedom” possible.
Or, if we are focused on achieving our ephemeral Independence Day, we can’t begin to comprehend the next dilemma it will create: upon achieving that independence, we have to deal with our employees’ jealousy of us and frustrations about their own situation. (Stay tuned for this topic in a future blog).
I am blessed to lead communities of 3to5 Clubs whose business owner members are committed to setting and helping one another achieve their independence day. We call this particular date a Business Maturity Date (BMD). A BMD is the date at which our business produces both money AND time for us.
We are committed to getting every community member to their BMD. (My club helped me get there Sept. 21, 2013).
What can you do this week to set your own independence date?
Here are two suggestions to get you started:
- Schedule a meeting with yourself to set your own BMD. To learn how to set a BMD, see Chuck Blakeman’s brilliant book, Making Money Is Killing Your Business (MMIKYB), 2nd Ed.; check out the Toolkit below to learn how to get your own copy.
- Write to @JonHokama to visit a 3to5 Club community that will help you get to that BMD!
Toolkit:
1.
“Whether you think you can and whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford
“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” – Og Mandino
What we believe sets the ruts we will travel. Are you setting yourself up for success to build a business that gives you both money AND time?
2. If you’ve decided to set your own freedom date, write down the day and time and put reminders in your phone or favorite device. The first 3 people in Denver who follow me @JonHokama and send me a note at my Twitter handle will get a FREE copy of MMIKYB, 2nd Edition.
