3 Rules We Break
There are a ton of experts online with rules that you're supposed to follow to be more successful, more productive, a better all-around individual IF you just follow their five rules or four principles or three laws of success. Those rules are treated like non-negotiables in that world.
Jodie and I are not so good with rules. Well, she is better at rules than I am.
We’re not quite outlaws in that sense; I guess we are more like “outrules” -- the petty-crime, misdemeanor version of the typical scofflaw.
With that in mind, here are some rules we break. Or bend, depending on the situation.
Check Emails
Only Twice A Day
Good luck with this one if you own a business. Messaging apps are key parts of your work, and ignoring them for longer than a few hours may be hazardous to your biz.
The flipside of that is setting boundaries for your customers and your team during times when you’re on vacation or after hours. Their expectations are apt to be more realistic when you do. Which leads to…
2. Keep Work and Personal Time Separate
One of my best bosses was a small business owner who had strict boundaries between his work and personal lives. His motto was “Don’t let the wolf into your home.”
But as a business owning couple, Jodie and I don’t have that barrier. We love what we do and it’s no big deal to talk about it when we want. And we have been known to actually work after hours.
3. Don’t Bring Work on Vacation
Another lofty idea, and one I followed fanatically before I became a business owner.
Face it: you went into business for yourself out of passion for your talent and experience AND the idea that your industry needs those gifts. So don’t feel bad when (not if) something pops up for you to handle while you’re on holiday.
What rules do you like to break? Leave a comment and remember: true visionaries are often rule breakers.
