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Micro-Flexes - I wanna hear about them
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I considered applying for a job Reader It’s very rare that I see a job that is even a tiny but appealing to me, but for about 3 seconds this weekend, an assistant manager role at our local nature reserve did look quite attractive. The salary was similar to what I pay myself now, and the hours were a little more than I currently work. Then I remembered that on Monday I was taking Flossie (the world’s fluffiest tabby cat) to the vet for her annual check-up and vaccinations. And then my brain snowballed….recollecting all the little tiny moments of flexibility I enjoy from being self-employed, and how they’d be gone if I had a job. Appointments for the dentists, doctors, hairdressers can be had for me and The Sons at pretty much any time of day, any day of the week. I can match my activity to my mood, energy or well-being. Need fresh air? I open the door and walk out of it. Feeling focussed at 8pm on a Saturday - I can grab my laptop, get productive, and know I’ve freed up hours of my time for the next week. I can take a nap whenever I need to (which apparently is quite often in the Winter). I get to stroke my cats whenever I want….OK I’ve got to stop listing these things now, it’s making me emotional. Oh wait…. I should probably mention something about how I love being around for The Sons….. I probably shouldn’t have listed them after my cats…. don’t tell them. It’s very hard to put a financial value on these micro-flexes, so they often get overlooked. And when we tally up what we’ve achieved so far in our business, or we visualize the goals we want to achieve, these little freedoms don’t make it onto the list. But if we set goals, and measure achievements, only in terms of numbers - hours worked, and money earned - we’re missing out on a huge amount of value our business already gives us, and could be giving more of. Sure count the money - we need that. But count the micro-flexes too. What micro-flexes does your business offer you already? What would you like it to deliver more of in 2025? And have you designed your business, your offers, your marketing to make that possible? |
The Comfy Business Newsletter | Laura
Join thousands of readers building a business that works around Life Stuff (like chronic physical or mental health conditions, recovery from big life events, caring responsibilities). I send two-ish emails each week, to help you enjoy a more comfy business and life.
Over the last 16 years (yes, really) working in online marketing, I’ve had hundreds of conversations with business owners trapped in a marketing thought loop. It sounds like…… “There’s this thing I want to try out / stop doing / achieve, but… What if I break everything else that’s working well What if I hate it What if I fail It’s not really how people are supposed to do this I should be working on this other thing instead…..” They can't see a way forward because each thought generates two...
Reader, do you tell yourself things like …. When I have more time, then I’ll be more consistent with my marketing. When things calm down a bit, then I’ll do that thing I really want to do. When I reach some imagined state of calm, then things will be easier. That’s When-Then-ing. But When-Then isn’t coming. I know this. A whole chapter of my book, The Comfy Business Playbook, is dedicated to making choices that are right for you and your business now, not holding out for a future reality that...
I tend to rush into the ‘doing’ part and skip essential prep, Reader My brain gets intensely annoyed by anything getting in the way of what I want to be doing right now. Like, when it’s a beautiful day and I’m in the mood for a bicycle ride, I just want to jump on and start pedalling. I am not inclined to pause to check and pump the tyres. It’s frustrating enough that I’ll have to get dressed, organise a drink, drag the bike out of the garage and lock up the house. That already feels like a...