Lifestyle Design

There Will Be Those Days…

Robb Sutton81.6K views

They hit you out of the middle of no where. Those days where being a business owner and entrepreneur is not all it is cracked up to be. As much as we like to portray online living and owning your own business as this oasis of freedom and the ability to do whatever the hell you want…it is still running a business and you are still going to have those days when you want to sell everything off, hang it all up and call it a day. Luckily, unlike a 9-5, those days are much farther apart (if you are running your business correctly) and you actually have the control to do something about it (unlike a 9-5)!

Over the course of your new career lifestyle, you are going to have to make tough decisions that are not exactly fun. You are going to have to plan for the future and continue to grow the empire to keep a sustainable model for the future. During that time, there are people that are going to let you down…projects that don’t go exactly the way you wanted them to, income sources that will come and go…

As you continue to hit road bumps in the road, there are two things that are going to keep you successful and not another “I had a business back in the day” statistic.

  1. Your ability to adapt to changing conditions.
  2. Your ability to push through the tough times to get to the light at the end of the tunnel.

No matter what anyone says, every day is not going to be this perfect land in make believe. You have to take each situation in stride and make smart decisions for you and your business for future growth and sustainability. In simpler terms…if owning your own business and making the “internet lifestyle” was that easy…everyone would be doing it and we would all have more money than we could have ever imagined.

What makes the successful online business owners successful is the ability to treat their online ventures like a business so they can push through the rough times with smart, calculated decisions. They do not run back to the life they used to complain about just because a little pressure hit the table. Successful online business owners continue to push towards their goal in the face of adversity.

Are you going to fold under pressure and give up your spot to someone else just because you couldn’t hack it? When things get a little difficult, are you going to go back to someone else choosing your worth with a paycheck? Are you going to let your dreams of being self sufficient fade away just because it is not fun 100% of the time?

Keep your long term goals in mind and continue to achieve and celebrate short term goals that lead to the life you want to build for yourself. This is your one and only…make it worth it.

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8 comments

Michael Holmes November 20, 2009 - 11:58 am
Thanks for the reality check Robb! I hope...excuse me...plan to leave my 9-5 one day and I'm glad you have the guts not to glamorize it. I'm not even gonna lie though, I am curious to know the challenges you have to overcome...just a thought for a follow up post. Thanks again!
Robb Sutton November 20, 2009 - 12:34 pm
haha...love the change up in approach. You really do have to start saying things that way if you want to get to that goal. Hoping and "if" comments won't get you anywhere. Great idea on a follow up post.
Ryan November 20, 2009 - 2:23 pm
Robb, Those who work the 9-5 will never understand. People who see me get up at 4AM and go to bed at 11PM still think that I do nothing. Or that I don't work. Perhaps it's because I don't despise what I do, I don't have a boss yelling at me, or I don't have the security of someone sending me a paycheck every Thursday. We definitely have "those days." Although like you said, a lot less than they do. It's so important to keep reminders of your goals with you to keep the fire alive when it begins to get doused by obstacles, etc. For all the trials and tribulations, I wouldn't have it any other way. I am free and answer to no one but myself. I'll take the few headaches that come with this liberty. Great insight :)
Robb Sutton November 20, 2009 - 9:50 pm
You're right...they won't understand. It is a different mentality among business owners vs. employees. Now...there are employees that have the mindset just haven't become business owners yet!
Brad Edgar November 20, 2009 - 5:49 pm
I think that being successfully financially independent says a lot about one's character. I respect those of you who are already there and making the most out of it. Just through learning from observation, you can tell that being able to survive mentally is the most difficult part. Self-confidence and perseverance are things that play a massive role in determining your success.
Robb Sutton November 20, 2009 - 9:50 pm
You have to believe in yourself and your abilities. There is no boss to tell you what to do or give you a raise...it is completely up to your own drive.
Srinivas Rao November 22, 2009 - 12:12 pm
Hey Rob, This is really great advice for any of us. I think there's a myth that is pervading the internet that blogging is a way to get rich over night and that it's not hard work. Yet, I've noticed one thing that wll make a blog succeed: persistence. If people get past the one year mark, for some reason they succeed almost out of brute force because so many people fall off the wagon leaving a select few at the top. I really think that it's amazing that somebody will put in 6 months of work and give up. Sid Savara and I recently did an interview whic I'll be sharing where talked about something called the hockey stick of blog growth. Most people don't realize that growth for many of the a-list happened in a hockey stick and they lingered in obscurity dealing with "those days" for up to 2 years before they hit big. But, treating it like a business is huge and I'm glad I've gotten to connect with you and hopefully my passion for riding waves will take me down the path to an amazing life.
Robb Sutton November 22, 2009 - 12:38 pm
You are right on track. Giving up is one of the main reasons some great blogs never make it. It still is a business and you have to be prepared to put in a lot of work before you ever see a significant return. I have always said...celebrate the little victories that are going to bring you to your long term goal.
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