How Much Work Is Really Earning You the Money?

March 22, 2012
Sedona, Arizona

I wrote about the 80/20 rule back on Valentine’s day and, frankly, it’s still shaking out in my life.

Yesterday, I spent some time thinking about just how little I actually do to generate the lionshare of what I get.

So why am I so “busy?”

I’m busy (or I think I’m busy), because I spend a lot of time pursuing things that aren’t worth my time. Even worse, I spend time pursuing things that just aren’t me.

It happens little by little. I get enamored by someone’s life or some attribute they have that I feel I don’t possess.

That causes me to start down a rabbit hole in search of that something for myself.

Before you know it, I’m spending my time trying to be someone I’m not… trying to live someone else’s life.

Most of my value comes from the times I’m not working. It comes from my unique perspective, life experience and otherwise unexplainable creative juice.

It doesn’t really involve effort because that’s my gift.

I gave a copywriting presenation a few weeks ago at an event sponsored by Early to Rise and Yanik Silver and I explained that my poor children are probably going to grow up with a very warped sense of what it means to “work.”

After all, they see me around a lot. And from the outside, it probably doesn’t really seem like I do much.

Well, today’s message is a reminder to you and me to do even less. Because let’s be real… probably 1%, 5% or 20% of what you do is responsible for most of what you get.

So what do you do with the rest of your time?

Well, in my worst moments I work like a dog to be, do and have everything that I am not, shouldn’t do, and don’t really care about having.

In my best moments, I have great clarity (like today) and I see my life for what it is:

It is mine.

And I know that incessent drive to “succeed” in me isn’t really a mark of success, it’s more like a disease.

I can either control it or I can give in to it and allow it to take me off my center.

We all get one shot at this (this time around anyway), so if you’re working towards the day you “get there” and can relax, understand that’s a big frickin’ charade.

Do that and the joke will be on you (and me) when “that day” finally comes. Because you won’t feel any different.

You’re in control now.

Take what you want from life and ignore the rest.

In my experience, most of it can be ignored. Do that and all you’re left with is gold.

See you next time,

Jason Leister
Editor, The Client Letter
Creating Success for Independent Professionals
ClientsSuck.net

P.S. What’s your biggest challenge right now? Reply to this and let me know…