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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.
Last week I felt inspired* to buy myself a new beautiful hardback journal Reader (*OK what happened was I bought a notebook as a gift for someone else, and then felt jealous of that person getting a new notebook, so I had to buy one for myself too). This journal is a space for me to write about my aspirations for adventures, milestones, and achievements. But, I find it tricky to think about the future without getting struck down by a case of the ‘shoulds’. I should be doing better I should...
I spent the first 8 years of my self-employed life feeling like a fraud, because my business wasn't my top priority, Reader I wasn't going all in. I had no plans to scale. I was happy to make enough money for our bills, with as little time, energy, and headspace invested as possible, because I had a crap-ton of other things going on in my life. I used to worry that my Comfy Business wasn't a real business. I don't worry anymore. So I wrote this blog post (3-minute read) for anyone else...
Recent things clients have said to me mid-Voxer chat* over the last few weeks, Reader Wow, look at the moon - so yes, of course I went straight to my front door to step outside and see for myself I'm not sure how woo you are, but can I share a story with you - I am so woo - please hit me anytime with your best Woo Stories My two-year-old would like to say hello now - Tiny humans and furry companions are all welcome to join in and have their moment to be heard. I used to think I needed to hide...