Life Is Very Short

Prince’s death has given me a royal kick up the arse…I mean 57? Seriously I am 44 years old – I have no idea when my time is up and I would be PRETTY pissed off if I know every minute of every hour of my last day was spent working.

I know as entrepreneurs we commit or work in a way now like most people never will, to have a life later that most people will never experience. I get that it takes commitment and sacrifice and dedication. I know we are effectively the wannabe Olympians of our sector – focusing on being the best of what we can be.

But, I think it‘s an old-fashioned way of thinking to believe that you have to work 24/7 and give up everything to achieve it. You have to LIVE as well as WORK.

This may seem like a given to the under 30’s. Trust me, us older business owners could learn a thing or two about life balance, about self-worth and about demanding a different type of life from our younger compadres.

Because our sweet life – as Prince, dear Victoria Wood and a plethora of others this year has shown us – is perilously short. You can’t permanently put off having a good time until your WHEN moment. You have to enjoy as well as build, take the time to smell the roses, know you only have one chance to see your family grow up, embrace all the concept of balance.

Now your balance can still mean you can commit 100% to your business growth. I work very very hard indeed Monday to Thursday, less on Friday and I do NOTHING work related at the weekends. This is my version of balance. Your version will be as unique as you are. As I have often said, I only have ON or OFF – I have no volume switch! – so it suits me to do 4 x 15 hours days – and then allow myself time to think, cook, exercise at the weekends. It’s my personal brand of balance.

And I do PLENTY of good stuff – so when a couple of years ago I was having a near death experience on Xmas Eve in A and E with the world going grey, and literally feeling like the life was draining out of me I was surprisingly calm reviewed my life – because I knew I couldn’t have achieved or done another thing – personally, professionally or physically. And I was happy.

So a massive kick up the arse to you today. You do not have lots of time. Life is very short. It’s all very well planning for your big sale, or your retirement or when the kids have gone to Uni but you may not have that time. And that would be gutting wouldn’t it? You have to live as well as achieve. Go out and live today. Do something every day that gives you enormous pleasure. Allow yourself friends and experiences that make it all seem worthwhile. So if – and I wish with all my heart that it never happens to any of you – if we only make it to 57 – we know we couldn’t have packed in another thing.

Gosh – this is quite emotional isn’t it? But I mean it. Life is too flipping short. Make sure you grab it. Take care.