Just Do It – Spine-Chilling Last Words That Mean Everything to Entrepreneurs

On October 7, 1976, Gary Mark Gilmore was convicted of committing two brutal murders in Utah, USA and sentenced to death. The following year on a cold January morning, he was executed by a firing squad.

Just prior to his execution, he was asked if he had any last words.

“Let’s Do It,” he said.

A decade later, advertising guru Dan Wieden was sitting in on creative meeting, brainstorming ideas for one of his clients. For reasons only known to Wieden, Gilmore’s famous last words came to mind. Though being the creative type, he just had to tweak the wording a tad, to “Just Do It.”

#146308777 / gettyimages.com

“Just Do It,” not only became the legendary new slogan for sports clothing giant Nike, but also increased the brand’s popularity so much, it’s footprint in the American domestic shoe business jumped from $877 million to $9.2 billion in just under a decade.

Ever since, the popular catch phrase has been popularized by entrepreneurs, executives and business leaders to inspire and invigorate action.

Either we live in very interesting times, or most don’t know that the catch phrase they love to quote originated from a convicted criminal’s mind, just prior to his execution.

Playboy billionaire Richard Branson has used the phrase “Let’s Do It,” when faced with a potential business opportunity.

And just about every entrepreneur has either read or heard the spine-chilling last words of a killer ringing in their heads, as “Just Do It,” has become the ultimate idea every business textbook, how-to be an entrepreneur self-help book, business professor, business coach, business mentor and successful entrepreneur attempts to plant in those seeking out information about starting their own business.

Eerie. Creepy. Spooky.

“Just Do It.”

Originally, a macho mantra instructing the firing squad to just get it over with, has become the inspiration igniting the fires of those sitting at their desks with amazing ideas, to “Just Do It” and start their business.

Ironic, how the famous last words of a murder, have come to stand for so much to so many.

“Just Do It,” symbolizes the mental madness that entrepreneurs face so well. Most entrepreneurs are perfectionists, we want to get everything just right.

#167013087 / gettyimages.com

We plan, we mind map, we do GAP analysis, we conduct market and customer research. Then we plan some more.

The hardest thing – the one thing really – that separates entrepreneurs from those just with a great idea – is action.

Inaction keeps many people from becoming entrepreneurs, because they just want everything to be perfect. They get stuck in the planning phase, and never “Just Do It.”

“Just Do It,” has become the mental kick in the pants that moves wantrapraneurs to entrepreneurs. It’s what separates the entrepreneurs, from everyone else.

Because to “Just Do It,” you have to take a leap of faith.

You have to be bold.

You have to be brave.

You have to “Just Do It,” otherwise all you’ll ever have is just a great idea.

And great ideas don’t make money.

Taking action does.

So, to paraphrase a convicted criminal: “Just Do It.”

Is Every Business Idea Gold? Maybe You Have Entrepreneurial ESP.

#108645310 / gettyimages.com

Some people have the gift of the gab. They can talk about anything on the spur of the moment.

Others are walking calculators – quick – what’s the square root of 87? (It’s +/- 9.32739 for us mathematically challenged types).

Then there are those that have the amazing ability to take an idea out of thin air, and somehow turn it into a successful business.

Steve Jobs not only did this for Apple, but also helped create the magic of Pixar – their initial blockbuster film “Toy Story” was largely his doing.

Steve Jobs’ legacy continues to this day – Apple is building a mega-huge facility that looks like a round spaceship – which was designed by the late Apple founder. This spaceship campus eliminates internal barriers, supposedly to house a more creative space where software and hardware engineers can freely walk over to each other’s desk, to inspire innovative technologies.

Elon Musk shook up the automotive world, by launching the first high-performance electric car – the Tesla Roadster – which looked like a supercar, but was powered exclusively by electricity. That formed the basis for the Tesla Model S, which became the first luxury all electric car. And, despite tackling the very tight automotive sector, his company recently released the Tesla Model X, the first all electric cross-over vehicle.

You don’t have to be a big name entrepreneur to have “the gift.”

#459712557 / gettyimages.com

If every business idea you’ve ever had turns to gold, maybe you have entrepreneurial ESP?

ESP – extrasensory perception – has never been something that I’ve really believed in.

The ability to read another person’s mind has no basis in science. Nor has any of the other claims from those who say they have a form of ESP, such as moving objects with their mind, or predicting the future.

However, perhaps ESP isn’t so much a mysterious mental ability and really is just a heightened sense of cognitive awareness.

Case in point, those of us with the gift of the gab are probably just more linguistically and socially aware, those of us who are walking calculators are more numerically and logically aware, and those of us that can turn an idea into a profitable business are more entrepreneurial aware.

This heightened awareness isn’t some special power, it’s based on our own experiences drawn from life.

#180832898 / gettyimages.com

Perhaps those who have the ability to turn an idea into a successful business have Entrepreneurial ESP – but it’s no mystery where they get their mental abilities from.

They learn how to tell which ideas would make good business ventures, and which ones would not, from doing.

Because ultimately, the most successful entrepreneurs take action on their ideas.

Entrepreneurial ESP is like all skills, it is something developed over time, from learning from one’s mistakes, and successes.

Which means, those who appear to have Entrepreneurial ESP probably made some mistakes along the way – not all their ideas turned into successful ventures.

It is a learned response, just like riding a bicycle or eating with chop sticks – which I still occasionally need a bib for to catch the bits that slip through.

So, if you want to develop your Entrepreneurial ESP – or any special skill – get out there and do it.

Practice makes perfect – or at least – creates the perception of perfection.

And isn’t that what ESP really is?

Isn’t Social Media Just Shameless Self-Promotion – YES IT IS – That’s Why You Need to Be Using It to Shamelessly Self-Promote Your Business

#168396245 / gettyimages.com

We live in a very anti-social, social media world.

No, that’s not a typo – social media is anything BUT social.

Think about it – how many “friends” do you have on Twitter that you actually know? And by know, I’m not talking about sharing tweets.

Let’s put it this way, how many “friends” do you have on Twitter that you’d invite into your home for dinner? Not a coffee shop, not some sleazy bar, or worse – street corner – your own private residence.

Asking myself that same question, I currently have 4,376 followers on Twitter. Of those amazingly awesome folks following me, I’d guess I probably really only know a couple hundred, when you consider friends, family and business associates.

Of those 200 people, I really only know about 50 that I know well enough to invite into my own, personal, private, living space.

So, out of over 4,000 “friends” on Twitter, I really know about 50 of them. Do the math – I only really know 1.25 percent of my Twitter followers.

#155422449 / gettyimages.com

According to statistics, that’s about right. Studies show the average Twitter user only really knows between one to two percent of those who follow them.

One to two percent – that means, on average, 98 to 99 percent of those happy smiling faces that follow you on Twitter are complete strangers.

Doesn’t sound all that social at all.

Twitter is just like walking down a busy street, yelling: “look at me.”

BINGO!

Social media is just shameless self-promotion, that’s why you need to be using it to shamelessly self-promote your business.

If everyone is using Twitter, facebook, YouTube, Google Plus, Vimeo, Pinterest, Instagram, even Linkedin to shamelessly promote themselves – then you need to be doing that too.

I know – that’s not very social. Walking down a busy street, yelling: “look at me” is hardly the behavior that’ll win you long lasting friends you can count on when you really need them.

But that’s the new world order, thanks to smart phones, tablets, free WiFi, and coffee shops filled with people, none of whom talk to each other -- even at the same table!

Talking?

That’s old school.

Besides, no one cares about you.

#182410856 / gettyimages.com

They are too busy taking selfies to show off their new hat, tweeting about what they had for lunch, or posting a really nasty review about the waiter that kept putting his finger in everything he brought to the table.

No one cares about you.

They are busy shamelessly self-promoting their own self interest.

However, the smart social media entrepreneur knows that social media isn’t about making friends, fans and followers.

No.

It’s about doing something that gets you noticed by the most self-absorbed generation since – well okay – there never has been another generation so interested in themselves, that they will walk into on-coming traffic, because they were eyes-down, self-absorbed into their mobile device.

#168860175 / gettyimages.com

You have to use social media as a business person to get into the eyeballs of your customers, so in their own self-interest, they share your posts with their friends. And their friends share it with their friends, and so on, and . . .

That’s the real power of social media in business.

Despite it being wrongly named “social” – it really should be called “self interested media” or “anti social media” or anything but social.

Social media is just shameless self-promotion, but that’s why you need to be using it to shamelessly self-promote your business.

Just Because You Run a Small Business Doesn’t Mean You Should Answer the Phone Like Your Kid

#482912909 / gettyimages.com

Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes, much as their businesses do.

Sometimes you’ll never know they run a small business unless you actually meet them.

Then, there are others, that have the telltale signs of being a small business:

• Their email address is a Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail or some other free one.
• Their email address is firstname@companyname.com
• Their web address is some free-hosted site.
• When you call them, they answer the phone as your kid does when you’re calling him downstairs for dinner.

Seriously, I’ve been talking to a handful of small business owners recently, and more than just a few answered the phone in such an unprofessional manner, I had to double check to see if I dialed the wrong number.

“Yo,” is not an acceptable way to answer your phone if you want to be taken seriously as a professional.

#158767558 / gettyimages.com

Neither is: “Hey, how ya doin’?”

Nor does: “What?” inspire great things when calling someone you might be looking to hire.

How you answer the phone makes a big difference, even if you’re running a small business.

You’d think this would be common sense, however, as with most things in life, common sense doesn’t seem to be all that common.

When you answer your work line as above, you instantly put your potential customers on edge.

“Does this bozo really think I’m going to pay him for his services?”

How can you trust someone with your money, if they can’t answer the phone like an adult?

Unless I’m calling a stand-up comic, or someone that works in a business where light-hearted fun is the business, anything as the above tells me I’ll be looking elsewhere to spend my cash.

#185734598 / gettyimages.com

So, how should you be answering your work phone?

A good rule of thumb is to simply say your first and last name as the introduction: “John Smith.”

That works in the mega-huge faceless corporate world, so it also works in a small business.

Though adding some personality and customer service isn’t a bad idea: “Hi, this is John Smith, how can I help you?”

Want to sound like a big company? Use the company name in your greeting: “Thanks for calling XYZ Inc., this is John, how can I help you?”

We’ve all heard the saying, you never have a second chance to make a first impression – that is very true on the phone, especially if this is the person’s first time calling you and your business.

#492444425 / gettyimages.com

If you don’t sound like a reputable, professional person, you won’t get that person’s business.

Competition in all fields is immense these days, so you really don’t have a second chance to make that all important first impression.

So, unless you’re a Sylvester Stallone impersonator, answering your business phone: “Yo” just doesn’t cut it.

Once you’ve established a rapport with someone, and know the number, then perhaps you could answer slightly less formal.

However, that’ll never happen, if you scare off potential customers by answering your phone like your kid.

So, until that time, always answer the phone like a business person – unless of course, you don’t want to be in business.

Is Authenticity in Business Best?

#152517898 / gettyimages.com

Thanks to podcasting, social media and the very public world we’ve created for ourselves through similar technologies, there is a growing trend towards authenticity.

Want to succeed in romance, your career, business or anything in life? Just be yourself.

Tell it like it is.

I’m a big fan of some of the most popular blogs and podcasts in the entrepreneurial space which tell you to just be you, as the hosts demonstrate by just being themselves.

From the always informative and interesting Smart Passive Income blogs and podcasts, where host Pat Flynn shares his story of personal success – leaving the world of architecture, to start and run several successful online businesses.

To Entrepreneur on Fire, where host John Lee Dumas interviews successful entrepreneurs, sharing their stories of failure, success and tips for starting their own businesses.

I love these guys, for their bravery in being honest, true, and authentic.

There’s that word again.

Authentic.

#483462449 / gettyimages.com

It’s the new buzzword of the business world. Just be authentic while providing any product or service, and watch your customers line-up ‘round the corner.

If being authentic is the best thing to be, how come the biggest money makers online still dabble in the totally unauthentic worlds of sex and drugs?

Porn still makes up over 70 percent of the commerce traded online, according to several studies. The next biggest money maker online? Discount prescription drug sales, most notably, for erectile dysfunction – you know – that purple pill called Viagra.

Neither of these businesses uses authenticity to sell – quite the opposite! The whole porn industry is based on creating entertainment based on our fantasies.

#72966136 / gettyimages.com

And it is not just the realm of the online business world.

Yes, I’m a proud '100 percenter' – someone who’s listened to the Humble and Fred podcast since it first hit iTunes, and has listened to every episode then and since.

Humble and Fred two well-known Toronto radio personalities, have been together for a quarter of century, making listeners laugh with their silly – some may say offensive – fart and dick jokes.

Since embarking on their own entrepreneurial ventures, they boast about being authentic too. They talk about their lives, the lives of their guests, and share their blunt opinions about the world around them.

Their unique format has done them well -- although they began their podcast because they claim no radio station would hire them – since launching their authentic talk radio show, it has been picked up by several terrestrial radio stations, and has become the morning show on SiriusXM’s Canada Laughs channel.

Humble and Fred talk about being authentic as the key to their success – people don’t like being sold personality – they want the real deal.

#167260302 / gettyimages.com

Humble and Fred, Entrepreneur on Fire and the Smart Passive Income podcasts and blogs are among my favorite guilty pleasures when I have a moment to spare.

They are all exceptionally entertaining, and informative.

Yet, they always talk about being authentic.

Tell it like it is.

Yet we still live in world where the biggest businesses don’t.

Like the joy ride automakers take us on when they show off their latest cars, speeding down a narrow mountain road -- with lots of fine print about it being a closed course, and do not ever attempt what we're seeing.

To beer commercials still selling us good times over cold brews – with more fine print reminding us to please drink responsibly.

Even burger joints like McDonald’s are trying to sell us on their “healthy choices menu” even though the number one product McDonald’s sells are their French fries.

If the truth will set you free, and being authentic in business is the new norm, why are the biggest and most recognized brands on the planet still peddling products and services the old fashioned way?

Truth is, sometimes the truth hurts.

So being authentic just isn’t in the cards for most of our guilty pleasures.

Think about it – would you buy beer if the ads showed overweight men with beer bellies, getting into bar room brawls?

Probably not.

#483862369 / gettyimages.com

Clearly, authenticity isn’t always best.

Being authentic really depends on what it is you are selling.

If you’re selling entrepreneurship, being your own boss, and making it on your own – authenticity works. Authenticity works here, because it’s all in the self-improvement space.

However, if you’re selling things that are more status symbols – like high end sports cars – or ways to escape reality – like porn and beer – than being authentic could actually hurt your business.

So, does the truth set you free in business? Depends on the business.

We Need International Entrepreneurs Day

Last week, I received a tweet ( @jordanhgreen ) asking for my support for National Entrepreneur Day -- or NED for short.

I was awe-struck.

I was taken back.

I almost had a twitter-gasim.

Then I discovered, it was an American-led initiative.

What?

Aren't entrepreneurs everywhere?

Why is only the United States trying to create a day to celebrate the innovators that drive our world forward?

Okay, by now, you're probably asking yourself: "What is National Entrepreneur Day?"

According to their website at http://entrepreneursday.org/ :

We're a country made of entrepreneurs. Men and women who built something from nothing. Created jobs. Made America what it is today. Our present was built by them. Our future depends on them. Isn't it time we honor them?

National Entrepreneurs' Day celebrates the entrepreneurs who are the foundation of our country. House Resolution 401 aims to make the third Tuesday of every November National Entrepreneurs Day. Once the House passes the resolution, the Senate will have a chance to approve it so it makes an official U.S. Day.

That's right, it's a resolution in the American House of Representatives, to honor those that built the country.

This got me thinking, don't we need something that spans America's borders?

Sure, there are amazing entrepreneurs in the States -- like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and even Elon Musk.

But what of the United Kingdom's Richard Branson?

Or Canada's Frank Stronach?

Even Jack Fitzgerald's Ship 2 Anywhere, places him in a top entrepreneurial spot in Australia.

The point is, entrepreneurship isn't geographically limited to one country or another.

Without entrepreneurs all over the globe, nothing would have ever got done. Because entrepreneurs solve the problems we're all going through, wherever you are on Earth.

That's the short definition of being an entrepreneur -- exploring the pain points of a society, and then coming up with a clever way to solve them, and in turn offer that solution for a fair price.

Where would any of us be, without a world of entrepreneurs?

We'd probably all still be scribbling our thoughts on cave walls, chasing animals with spears, capturing our mates, and making love under the stars.

WAIT!

That last part doesn't sound all that bad.

Hmmm. . .

NO.

We're all better off thanks to the genius of human innovation, imagination, and inspiration. The hallmarks, of all the great entrepreneurs.

From the inventor of the modern telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, to Apple founder Steve Jobs that took the basic cell phone, and changed it -- and the world -- with his iPhone -- entrepreneurship beats being a caveman -- cavewoman -- caveperson -- or other -- hands down.

You could even be an entrepreneur!

You don't need to go to some posh sounding post-secondary school, and get an MBA. 

NO.

You just need to have an idea.

That's it.

Well, okay, you need to develop your idea, turn it into a product, or a service. Figure out a costing structure, revenue streams, customer channels, market research . . . 

Okay, there's more to it than just an idea.

But all great entrepreneurs, began, with just an idea.

National Entrepreneur Day -- great idea.

But like all entrepreneurs, I think I can do better.

How about INTERNATIONAL Entrepreneur Day?

Sure, it doesn't have a cool name, like NED, that reminds me of some geeky nerd from high school I once knew named Ned -- sorry Ned if you're reading this.

IED sounds more like some funky birth control device than a hip and trendy day to celebrate the greatest achievements of our time.

But names can be changed.

We'll work on it.

International Entrepreneur Day -- or whatever it may be so named -- think about it.

If you believe we need a day to celebrate entrepreneurship globally, please leave your comments below. 

Starting a Business? Five Things to Put Your Start-Up Funds in First

Let’s face it, when you start a business, money is tight. So where do you put your limited amount of funds to get the ball rolling?

Here are my top five places to invest whatever money you have at the beginning, because without them your business may never fly.

1. Name Search and Incorporation

What’s in a name?

Plenty if you’re running a business. Names are more than a way of branding your business, they are legally required for tax purposes. Incorporating your business is a small price to pay at the beginning, rather than personally be wiped out financially by a law suit which holds you personally accountable for your business, instead of your incorporated business.

On the flip side of this, I actually find it hard to start a company without a name. I suppose it’s just my logical brain in action.

Take time to brainstorm several possible names for your new business, and then conduct a corporate names search to ensure no one else has a similar name. In most North American jurisdictions, it’s illegal for you to operate a business under a name which is currently in use within the same business sector or industry. Though it’s usually best to make sure no one currently uses that name in any business or industry sector – I often make up words for my company names.

Once you establish a name for your business – that isn’t already in use – register it so no one else can use it. Then get a good business lawyer that specializes in start-ups, and incorporate that business.

This way, you have your name, and the legal paperwork to back everything up.

2. Logo and Slogan

Starting a business really can be a fun and creative process – first you have to brainstorm a name – now you get to go all artsy and design a logo and even a slogan.

Many people don’t think they need a logo for their new venture right away. Who’s going to see it, as I’m still developing the business plan?

However, a good logo separates you from your competition, gives you a professional image, and both are extremely important elements in the ultimate goal for our first five places to spend money on your new venture – networking. If you don’t have a logo, a catchy one-line slogan that summarizes what you do, and the rest of my top five list here, you’ll be constantly struggling to tell people who you are, and what you do at networking events. And when you start out, networking is really important, because real entrepreneurs help each other.

3. Website and Email

You don’t need a fancy website with all the bells and whistles when you’re starting out. But you do need one that at least has some basic info – like your logo, slogan, and how to contact you.

Getting a website forces you to register your company’s name for a domain name – which is really important. Some people I know run their chosen company names through the WHOIS database to ensure they can secure the matching domain name. If the domain name is already taken, they won’t name their company that.

I’m old fashioned, and love the dot-com domain extension. To me, that’s the one most people are going to try first on Google and the other search engines if they don’t have it in front of them. 

However, if you have the money, it doesn’t hurt to register the most popular domains for your company – the “dot” org, net, biz, info, and co. If you’re in Canada, you might also add .ca to that list, or .us for American-based companies.

This protects your business from copycats, or worse, others using your company’s names, or even ones really close to it, and just creating a different dot-something or other using your company’s good name.

Once you have your web domain setup, and a basic website, you can also get a professional email address. Although Google’s gmail is a fantastic program, when I see john@gmail.com I just know I’m dealing with an amateur. There’s no harm in looking like a big impressive company, so use firstname.lastname@companyname.com as your email address – or whatever your professional domain is.

Remember, an email address and domain name aren’t just for communications – but for PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS.

4. Office Phone and PO BOX

Unless you want your customers and everyone you do business with to call you at home, I’d get a separate phone number and a PO Box for the mailing address. This way, you protect your family and yourself from anyone that happens on your business contact info. A separate phone line is important, even if you’re running your start-up from your home, because the last thing anyone that is going to do business with you wants to hear, is your kid answer the phone, and yell: “Dad, phone!”

5. Business Cards

Once you have your registered legally incorporated business name, a logo and a slogan, a website, email address, phone number and a PO. Box, you’ve got all the basics to put it on a slick business card, so you can hand it out to potential customers, business partners, or anyone that you want to take you seriously as a professional.

Even in start-up mode, business cards with all the correct professional information are very important – what else are you going to give someone at a networking function that might be able to help you get your business off the ground?

Beware Anyone Doing Business Completely Sans Paper

Live and learn. Or so the saying goes, but sometimes we never just learn, despite our inner voice warning us away.

Recently, I had that experience, as I had stumbled on what I thought would be a fruitful business relationship. We both had something mutually of interest to offer the other professionally, and had initially agreed upon the terms of service over the phone.

Then came time to do the deal – or so I thought. Turns out, our brief phone call was the deal, at least in the mind of the other party to this “business” relationship.

I’ve always been weary of those that won’t put things down in writing. We hear time and again how flimsy verbal agreements are, how they don’t really hold up in court because they depend on a judges’ interpretations of what each person claims the other said.

Even in our modern era of emails, instant messages and SMS text messages, I get cold feet when someone sends me the terms of a deal only via one of these digital forms of communications.

Not that I expect the worst, but anytime someone tells you "let’s just shake on it" – walk away.

I should have run away prior to latching onto one of these “business” people. Any legitimate business person wouldn’t even THINK of doing any business deal on the basis of nothing more than a smile.

That smile sure didn’t last long with this “business” person.

I got suckered in by the passion for what I do, and the opportunity to share that passion with the world. The business looked legit – they had a website.

"Hey Jordan, my five-year-old kid can create a website."

Now you tell me . . .

At first everything was great, I did my part of the deal, they did theirs. 

Then, a couple of months in, they started to change. They weren’t living up to the terms of our verbal “agreement.” Sometimes they were early, most of the time they were late.

Then for a while there was a string of early deliverables, which was followed by requests for additional ones on my part.

This wasn’t part of our original verbal “agreement” but they quickly amended our non-existent arrangement via email.

I didn’t mind, so I went along with it, for another few months. Then they asked me to do even more but at a fraction of the price.

I thought about negotiating. But how do you negotiate when you have nothing in writing to back you up? As it was, I wasn’t happy with myself for signing a non-existent agreement.

That little voice in my head kept nagging me, calling me a fool. Telling me "you'll be sorry."

I’ve been burned in the past by verbal agreements when I was young and naive. And part of me was questioning my own intelligence and business savvy, having fallen into another verbal agreement so many years later.

I declined their additional requests, but said I was happy to continue with our current “agreement.”

They obviously took great offense to this, as the pattern of their lateness began again – even increasing to the point where I started wondering how I was ever going to exit this situation gracefully and without harm to my interests.

Then they decided to give me “notice” via email to amend our non-existent agreement cutting both their and my deliverables down by half.

"How can you give me notice for a contract that doesn’t exist?" I scoffed.

Then it dawned on me, you can’t. There’s nothing binding between us. They have nothing to give “notice” on, for or with, according to my legal team. In fact, if you don’t have anything in writing, there is no binding agreement. The word "notice" has to refer to something already defined in writing, usually (but not exclusively -- my lawyers point out) another word: "term."

A verbal contract is no more binding than the air it is “written” on.

“You might as well have signed it with invisible ink,” said one legal expert.

So you’re free to leave it at anytime, and without any notice he tells me.

And that’s what I did.

Though I did let them know via email.

I wanted to send a letter. 

You know, one of those old fashioned documents printed on paper. 

I like things in writing. I’m funny that way.

Life Lessons from an Entrepreneur – Work Can Wait – It Really Can

I’ve always been big on promoting and encouraging a work environment with an even work-life balance.

If all you do is work, and nothing else, although you may get an ‘A’ for effort, eventually you’ll burn out. And who wants to work with someone that doesn’t have a life outside of work?

After years in the corporate world, now that I’m doing my own thing and running my own show, I still have problems living up to my own work-life balance ethic.

As I write this, it is Tuesday evening, a little past 6pm. I’ve been working straight since 9am. Well, okay, not quite – I took about 10 minutes to go to the corner pizza place and grab a couple of slices for lunch.

But I rushed back to my desk, and began chomping as I worked. Napkins and wet naps are every office worker’s savior.

I know – I’m your classic over achiever. And like most classic over achievers, I’ll probably end up in the hospital with a coronary.

I blame Mother Nature for today’s post. After a brutal winter, and not much of a spring so far, as the close of the working day came, the sun began to shine, and I looked out my window and saw some kids kicking a ball to each other as they scooted past.

As I watched the kids kick on past, the streets and sidewalks filled with people leaving their offices for their families and friends. I began thinking about work-life balance.

Especially, as I heard the hum of my computer, almost begging me to come back and finish the never-ending work that needs to be done.

Even as I type this, Mother Nature continues her torture. Now the streets and sidewalks are filled with people doing things other than work.

Some guy just walked by with his dog, a handful of joggers strode past, and cute couples are snuggling down the street for a night on the town.

Meanwhile, I am typing at my computer, surrounded by my papers, my phones, my work.

Work can wait – it really can.

End of the day, whatever isn’t done, can be finished tomorrow.

“Go home,” I’d tell myself, if I were on my team. “You’re no good to us if you’re burnt out. Go home.”

So why am I still sitting across from the glow of my computer screen, hammering out this piece like there is no tomorrow?

I enjoy what I do, perhaps too much. Perhaps that’s the problem?

Though I also enjoy listening to and watching podcasts, catching up with friends, and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine which Mother Nature continues to flaunt in my face.

Mother Nature may be wise.

Instead of taunting and tormenting me, perhaps she’s trying to lure me away from my work, so that I don’t burn out, and become a dreary tired drone.

Wouldn’t that be ironic?

Most people start businesses for professional and personal freedom. They take the leap necessary to become an entrepreneur, so that they can work the hours they want, earn the money they want, and live the life outside of work they’ve always wanted.

However, it’s now 6:18pm and I’m still on my butt, typing away.

While the sun is getting low in the night’s sky. Eventually, it will be dark.

Don’t worry – I won’t sleep at the office.

I’m done for today.

That’s it!

I’m out of here.

I’m about to listen to my own advice, and get some fresh air and sunshine.

Because work can wait – it really can.