How can you make the most out of your professional life? Statistically speaking, from Monday to Friday, the average working American spends between 60% and 75% of their waking hours focusing on their work. That’s a lot of time! In my coaching experience, I have found one over-riding way that people successfully maximize their work life. They treat their work as a business and not as a job.

Regardless of how they are paid, regardless of whether they receive a 1099 or a W-2, and regardless of what their boss thinks, people who treat their work as a business grow more personally, receive more recognition, impact more people, make more money, and enjoy more of their working hours than those who treat their work as a job.

It’s all about how you see yourself. If you treat your profession as a job, you are likely operating under the pretense that someone else gives you work. You say, “It’s not my responsibility” and are frustrated that others think it is. You watch the clock closely.

If you treat your profession as a business, you realize that you choose your work. In fact, you create your work. You realize that everything will get done better if you accept responsibility and own it. When you have the mindset of a business owner you are emotionally and financially rewarded!

The truth is, EVERYONE chooses their work. If you don’t feel that way right now, let me ask you a question. Could you physically stop what you do for work right this very second? YES! Maybe you wouldn’t be able to feed your family, maybe a patient would die, maybe you would leave a big client hanging, maybe you would lose health insurance, maybe you would miss out on your bonus, but you absolutely, physically, could stop what you’re doing.

From this moment on, you are choosing your work. Own it. Treat your work like a business. Own your business. Make the most of your working hours, which I’ll remind you, are more than 60% of most of your days.

How? Business owners focus on results. Not the hours they work, not what will hurt someone’s feelings, but on the results that they need to see happen. In addition, they own their work. They own not only their paycheck and their paid hours, but they own the information that pertains to their business. Here are a few specific ways that you can start becoming more of a business owner:

 1. USE A SCHEDULE:

 Have a schedule created by results instead of by the hours you need or want to work. Ask yourself these questions: What needs to get done? How long will these things take? When would be the best time this week to get this done? Then create a schedule based on your answers and stick to your schedule.

2. KNOW YOUR BUSINESS:

Know the numbers and issues that are most relevant to your responsibilities AND know your company goals and critical figures. Know your clients and work to develop better relationships with them. When you learn an answer to a question, internalize it and own it so you don’t have to ask the same questions over and over.

3. DEVELOP SOLUTIONS:

Before you ask anyone else for help with challenges you face, have at lease one possible solution in mind. This will not only help you to own your challenges and be a part of the results, it also will earn you much more respect very quickly!

4. ACT LIKE YOUR IMAGE OF A BUSINESS OWNER:

Spend time thinking about and writing down what a business owner looks like, does, and thinks, and then do it!

5. USE SELF-TALK AND VISUALIZATION:

Catch yourself saying “employee-like” statements and stop (such as, “that’s not my job”). Add business owner phrases into your self-dialogue (for example, “I can figure this out”). Take time to visualize yourself as a functioning business owner and reality will soon follow your visualizations.

What you’ll find as you start acting like you own your business and focusing on results is that you will be rewarded emotionally and financially for your new mentality.

Be Free!

Leah Simpson
Instructor