Top 10 Reasons for Failure -#8 Seeking Balance Too Soon

Your new business is like a baby.  It demands your attention. If you don't give the necessary attention to the baby, the baby will die.   Sorry, I'm just the messenger.

If you are a parent, then you know that we have skipped many a meal, ate them cold, and missed uncountable hours of sleep.  We have cleaned up messes we never dreamed of, lacked the time to care about it, and most of us actually decided to voluntarily do it again!

Your new business is pretty darn similar.  I would highly suggest not doing both the baby thing and the new business thing at the same time, but some of you are masochists...or just bad planners?

I'm at a stage in my passive income-generating first business, that I have spent the time to get in balance with all the priorities in my life.  They were always priorities, but it might not have looked like it from the outside.


I missed bday parties, and friend's parties, and had to beg off on enough family functions that I still have a reputation for "working too hard' or "being too busy", years past when I was able to start accepting invitations regularly.

I didn't show up much, because I had those giant priorities.  God, family, business is the right order for me.  But I can't help God or my family (at least to the extent I always hoped) if I don't have any money or time due to a 40 year job sentence. So I worked my ass off...and said no a lot.

Quitting your job and then taking advantage of having "no boss" by getting up later, going to lunch with a friend, or taking all the breaks during the day you were denied before isn't going to work.  You need to buck up and actually work harder, take less liberties and say no to everyone who asks you to do something for them.

I couldn't believe how many people ( husband, mom, friends) would ask me to run an errand or help out with something because " I didn't have a job". Yeah, no.  Decline.

Your self discipline needs to shine.

             Your self discipline needs to shine. 

You are simply going to be out of balance for awhile.  Even though you might say your family is your biggest priority, you may not spend the time you would like with them while you are getting your business off the ground.  The trade off for us (and you in the future) is the quality time available now ( in the future for you) due to the passive income we built, as well as the money to be able to enjoy it.

Give yourself the time it takes to get it rolling. A jet typically must reach speeds of 150-180 mph in a very short period of time to be able to lift itself off the ground.  Rockets lift a space shuttle and account for about 70% of the force to get it in orbit.  Extraordinary results take extraordinary effort.

You can probably lay out a plan that looks pretty, and incorporates all the things you would like to see in your life, but there are too many things that will require extra attention you didn't count on, changes of course from the original plan, and plain just having to start over with something that failed.  It's one big fat practice makes perfect kind of adventure.

A part-time business while you are still working your full-time job is the way to go, but the two of those combined are not going to allow you to be in balance either.  Quitting your job finally and focusing 100% on your business will not allow you balance.  You are just going to be out of balance.

Is it worth it? Yes, yes, and hell yes.

Here's my advice.  Make this timeframe as short as possible.  I have seen so many people that have put in a lot of hours above the average and burn out.  If they had just put in a few more, it would have blasted off.  But they drug out that front end process just too long.

Get dirty, get blinders, and work around the clock for a finite amount of time.  What's 1-3 years in the big scheme of things?  You will be able to do so much more later, if you get this off the ground and start generating a residual income.  Then you can switch to working on your business systems, people, and processes that will have it hum for years.

Looking back, I don't remember the lack of sleep or missed events, it was a blur.  Excitement, adrenaline and my passion for the mission I was on was in the driver's seat. Let those emotions steer you straight to the top!

What did you have to give up , or what do you see giving up to catapult your business this year?  Let us know in the comments!