What is your time worth?
How being an attorney, business owner, mom and wife has shown me the value of time and given me ‘my why’
Sometimes work can interfere with your personal and family life and can be all consuming. It used to be for me and it did not matter much because I was single. I would go out occasionally with friends but working was all that really mattered. I met someone and he had a kid. I always wanted to be a mom and now I got to be one to an adorable five year old ( now 11). Soon work began to interfere with school functions and taking time to enjoy ourselves. I worried about meeting billable hours and the wrath I would get if I took too much time off. I started thinking, what if I went out on my own?
Why do you do what you do?
Everyone has their “why” or the reason that they do what they do. Mine was time. I wanted time for my friends and time for my family. More importantly I want time to travel, near and far. Even though time is free, the things you want to do with that time are not. So I still needed to figure out a viable way to have time and money. I did some math (which if you know me, I hate and am not very good at) and figured out how many hours I would need to work at a reasonable hourly rate to make money and have time. On paper it did not seem to hard. October will be two years and I have been pretty successful.
How did I do it?
Planning, budgeting and getting involved in a lot of organizations. I also reached out to other lawyers in my area to build referral relationships. I schedule time for myself in the mornings right after my son goes to school and start my day around 10 a.m. I schedule all appointments between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. so that I can be home at 3:30 when my son gets home from school. Most days I take him to his afterschool appointments and then work until 5.
Setting Boundaries
Now, I have made the choice so far to not take on so much work that I have to work nights and weekends. It is a decision of what you are looking to achieve. While I know my husband wants me to strive more to earn millions. But what good is the millions if you can’t take the time to use it?
Making memories over millions
While I am not making millions, I am making enough to enjoy life. We go on several small trips a year and one week long vacation. I have time for myself, friends and my family. I am currently thinking about building the business to be more successful without sacrificing my why.
- Plan it out – What do you need to be making to be comfortable? Is it millions or just enough to enjoy life and save for a rainy day?
- Get help – Word of mouth and referrals is like having a mini sales team out there helping to grow your business. Build trusted referral relationships and strategic partnerships with complementary businesses and professionals who are equally motivated to support you and you genuinely want to help them too.
- Setting Boundaries – Set up a schedule that allows you to work hard, play hard and be there with family and friends without giving up much-needed ‘you’ time to exercise, read, binge watch or just enjoy a cup of tea without distractions.
Hope you enjoyed learning a little more about me and my why. What are some of the ways you manage your time? Stay tuned for more news next month!
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Author: Eileen Kendall
