Is your Business also your Hobby?

Conversation
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It’s a simple question, but I think it could have a large impact.

What do you do, in general, in your downtime? Is it business related, like I am doing right now posting this, or are you playing video games or watching tv or just spending quality time with family.

(Let me just say, quality time with family is number 1, period)

But, when you have some time to yourself, what do you find yourself doing? Do you do something to escape from the daily grind, or do you watch window cleaning videos, read the forums, post stuff on social media, follow up with customers, tweek your schedule, etc.

Here is my theory: If you love your business, then working on it can still be relaxing, even enjoyable. And, I postulate that Business Owners who work and treat their business as a hobby (aka. fun time) are more successful than those that treat it like a 9-5 job.

What do you think?

Ok, about myself. I have been window cleaning for 20 years. I started my own company 2 years ago, and completely quit sub-contracting 9 months ago.

I hated window cleaning. I HATED IT.

When I started my own company, I found that I liked window cleaning. I liked canvassing, I liked organizing my schedule (I still hate taxes…) And, in the evenings, once the little one was in bed, I found myself watching window cleaning videos, or business videos, and working on my schedule and updating my client list.

In the past these things would have just felt like WORK. Now I like it! Yes, I still play video games to unwind a bit, but I find that I come back to working on my business in some form as if it was a hobby.

I think it is because I am “making something”. It is for me and my family, and I am MAKING it, I craft it when I work on my scheduling, when I optimize a route, when I discover a new area to canvass. I have no limitations! I did when I was a sub contractor.

But, now I am free, and every day is a new small victory.

Any thoughts? Might just be my own weird thing. Lol

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I guess you could say this is a hobby that pays very well. I work 20-25 hours a week. This a great business.

Gives me time to do things I enjoy. Like spending a lot of time with family and friends

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I assume that you need to work full time, I was not suggesting that you should treat your job as a hobby.

I meant, what do yo do on your down time.

I assume that we work full time. But, in your downtime to you find your business compelling enough to treat it like a hobby and continue working?

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For me it’s God family that business. My passion is God and studying His word. May family is second to God but just as important. My business is third. Fourth would be exercise which used to be my passion before I was a Christian and before I got married and had kids. It quickly got olaced on the shelf.

With 5 kids I can say it is tough to juggle all everything and my business often auffers for it. I always wonder how everyone else manages everything.

For me it’s like filling a jar with marbles and then going it’s full. Then you put pebbles in and they fill the cracks. Then it’s still not full. You can fit sand in. Then it’s still not full. You can fill the rest with water. If you out the sand and water in first there is no room for the marbles. You have to roioitize to fit it all in and fit the least important things in where you can. This helps to out things in proper priority.

Also having goals really helps. Life long goals, ten yera goals, fice year, 1 year, quarterly monthly weekly and daily. Break it down to what you have to do today and focus on that knowing that if you accomplish your toaks today you will reach your goals for life if you do it day in and day out.

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I treat it as a business. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I have a very simple life that is how I am able to work part time.

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Cool. I wasn’t asking who works part time.

I was asking, who finds themselves working on their business when they don’t have to. Like instead of watching Youtube or something before bed.

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I also have 5 kids, family 1st, cabin time with fishing, skiing, campfires and talks. Many sporting events and coaching too.

Business is business but I do enjoy learning about furthering all aspects when free time arises.

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I agree. When you realize that “hey this thing just might work”, then you start to feel more and more pride in what you’re doing. It is an incredible thing to start a business and drive it towards success. Work is not a hobby, but working on your business can be just as enjoyable sometimes. And that is AWESOME.

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Well that is a little odd.

I have always liked cleaning windows TBH, when I was first shown incorrectly I didn’t like it very much.

Once you have mastered the technique it is a realatively easy do to, compared to many other professions.

For me though I do a little reading, tending to watch less videos as i’m not a fan of watching someone talk to the camera, since I am normaly watching something else at the time so the video is generally muted.

I live on a acreage so I have plenty that needs to be done, and play a few games while relaxing.

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If God is first, everything else will line up right.
Luke 14:26

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Why is it odd ? I hated Window cleaning when I first stated also .

I agree it’s easier than many other professions ! That was the one thing that kept me going. Always thinking it could be worse , but I always hated working in extreme weather. Cold , or hot took me a little while to get over that. I still hate it , but now that it is for me …it makes it a little more tolerable working in extremes .

An yes in my spare time I’m always thinking , An figuring about my business. I always think there is a better way , An I need to find it. I feel I still have a lot to learn , An I want to learn it.

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This is why, for me, religion at times has a tendency to be too over bearing of ones life. Incorporating the words in the bible in ones life is different than putting a deity in front of family.

I keep work and hobbies somewhat separate, but will blend them on occasion because I thoroughly enjoy what I do. I have had jobs that I didn’t really enjoy as much or found as rewarding, and avoided all aspects of those on my off time.

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It’s not wrong when you understand it. Outing God first does not mean neglecting your family, rather the opposite. As you have shown from the Scriptures God commands that I take good care of my family. Putting God first means taking care of my family becomes part of my service to God and it also means I am accountable to God for how I care for my family.

It also means we serve God as a family and we are accountable to God as a family. We also make sacrifices as a family. It is my job to lead my family in service to God, which means I have to know when to push them and when to let up.

God is first before my family. If my family doesn’t want to serve God I still do and pray for them and encourage them to follow. If God was second it would mean I would follow my family and neglect God. God is always first.

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I found it odd for someone who has 20 years experience who hates it.

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+1

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As an owner-operator it’s hard to “leave the job at the office mentally” but in the evenings I try to focus on the pleasant aspects of the business that don’t require immediate action the next day, such as long term goals, potential ROI for new services, service life of the vehicles, etc.

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I think you did not read my original post. I do not hate window cleaning since I am now working for myself, and that was a revelation to me.

I thought I just hated window cleaning, but, I actually hated working for another company.

I love window cleaning now, because it is mine. It is on my terms. I answer to no one, and I am not forced to do crappy work for crappy pay.

And, I love building my business and the freedom that working for myself provides.

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I get that I did read it, I spent 12 years working for a large window cleaning company, while I was not a huge fan of the way of the operation was run some of the time, I still enjoyed the part of my job that was window cleaning, I am of the personal opinion that if you do not enjoy what you do then you will never really be happy, if you have to wake up every day and do a job you hate. You have to find some joy in what you do imo

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yikes 20yrs before starting your own business

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Yes, I do something similar. At times when I am not working I will go over the books, reorganize a system or redesign something. It’s kind of like a new baby that I want to be efficient and perfect. But I can tend to be unbalanced and start thinking about the biz or looking at videos and forums at times when I should be doing something else. Such as right now: I need to be packing for a long day of volunteer work and a weekend stay out of town but my reward center wanted a little extra dopamine so I jumped on here to see what the latest is :laughing: For us, our business is a means to an end rather than our ultimate goal of building an empire. We work 2-3 days a week in order to have money to support ourselves in what is more important to us. So I really enjoy the biz and it is like a hobby but it’s also hard to stay balanced and not constantly be obsessive about bettering the biz. I have to keep our long term goals in mind.

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