Perfect Life Project

Buying verses starting a business

Most entrepreneurs dream about starting their own business. The
urge to create a new entity or service is undeniable for many.

However for every successful start-up there are 20 who failed. The business world is littered with the broken dreams of starry-eyed entrepreneurs.

A much safer bet, in my opinion, is to buy an existing business.

I can write on this topic from great experience with both start-ups and purchasing mature businesses. All my failures have been start-ups and all my successes have been from buying existing operations.

Plan for success

Usually at this time of year I start thinking about next year.  Sure there are
still three months to go, all of those busy trading months, but by now my
head is already in next year.

I like to plan 6 months ahead of the business. I believe its difficult to plan much further ahead if you have a dynamic business that is evolving quickly, but it is essential to be looking forward to what might happen next.

This time last year I stunned my staff by sitting them all down and explaining the lay of the land as I saw it. We had enjoyed a strong year and were poised for even better but I was somewhat paranoid.

Life is too short

We bury a friend today.

She was just 34 years old. Fighting fit and full of life. 

Then a week ago she just dropped dead.

Tragic.

Her father is a good friend of mine and he is understandably distraught. Is there anything crueler than outliving your children?

It is the second time in the last year that I have been so shockingly reminded of our tenuous mortality. Two days before Christmas last year a life-long friend and mentor was almost killed in a horrific cycling accident when a car plowed into his group. Today he is still recovering and his life will never be the same. The fact he even survived is amazing.

That first incident went a long way to convincing me that life is too short, and you never know when your time is up. I soon decided to take a new approach to life. To savour it. To be thankful for what I have and to make the most of my time on this earth. My Perfect Life Project was born out of near tragedy.

Now, once again, I have been reminded of how fleeting life can be.

It is a reminder to ask myself, what is really important in life? 

To re-affirm my commitment to my family and friends.

To re-affirm my commitment to living as richly and fully as possible.

Life is too short.

######

There was a great piece of advice at the service....

"Plan to live forever but live like  you might die tomorrow."

10 Benefits of Exercise

I love exercising. I am a competitive cyclist, I go to the gym
twice per week, surf, play park soccer with friends and generally
keep myself active.

However even for a person who enjoys being fit, sometimes the motivation can disappear.

I just came across an excellent post at Ririan Project, a very good blog, that explains the reasons we should all stay fit.

Its very compelling so read on....

Perfect Life Update 2

Last month I wrote an update on my progress since adopting and
implementing my strategies for a perfect life. In it I outlined the actions
I had taken and results I had seen.

Most of the benefits I described related to the improvement in my lifestyle. Less stress, happier, better health, more freedom. The one area I haven't elaborated on is income.

For me, the objective here isn't to become insanely rich. I am trying to build a robust, highly profitable business that allows me to live extremely well without the constant pressure and stress of maintaining such a lifestyle. Obviously a high income is part of it but it is not the be all and end all.

So, many fiscally focussed readers may be wondering whether my strategies have been profitable, or whether I have just been creating a lazy workers paradise that sacrifices profit for fun and an easy lifestyle.

I am happy to announce that you can have your cake and eat it too. The business is performing remarkably well. In the two years since I purchased this agency (now in it's 30th year) it has grown 35%. That's been good solid growth for a mature business.

Simple advice for a more productive day

Are you like so many people who complain that there are never enough hours in the day? Do you find that get to the end of the working day only to find that you are yet to complete everything you intended?

There was a time when I could relate to this.  Days would rush by, I would have to work longer hours or take work home, there was no end in sight.

Fortunately a simple change of perspective and better focus and organisation mean that I now do twice as much in half the time.

 

Time is our most precious resource. Once its gone we can't get it back. We need to make the most of our time and use it for the things that really matter, be it work, family, relaxation, education. The biggest thing we should avoid is wasting time. Thats why I like to get things done then move onto my other life passions.

Like most of you I have many things on my plate. I run an ad agency and deal directly with the top 6 clients, manage an online business, write 3 different blogs, spend time with my wife and two young sons, cycle competitively, surf, travel and have a healthy social life. I can manage all of this without feeling stressed or pressured each week. In fact if I wanted to do more, I could easily.

Whats the secret? Well its not rocket science and its probably nothing you haven't heard before, but if you are disciplined enough to follow these rules your working days will be much more productive, and hopefully you will gain plenty of time to do more things you really want to do.

Breaks are good

Taking a break from the everyday is good. In fact, I would suggest it is essential.

I have just returned from a trip to Thailand and, although it was a hectic holiday with a fair share of partying, it was a great recharge for me.

The trip meant that I was away from my office for 11 days. No calls, only one email, no deadlines or schedules. No work for 11 days. For once my mind was totally occupied by things other than my normal life.

By the time I returned to work I was itching to go. New ideas started swirling around my brain, I was refreshed and ready to go. In short, the break did me good as far as work goes. I have just two months until I take off again on an extended break and so I will be attacking that remaining time with vigour.

As a side note, holidays also trigger Parkinson's Law. Most people, knowing they are going to be away from work tend to produce more in the time leading up to their holiday. The enforced deadline works to focus you and your work. Likewise upon returning from holidays there is often worked piled up that must be sorted quickly.

Travels in Thailand

I have just returned from a trip to Thailand, staying at the beautiful southern island of Phuket and the capital Bangkok.

The trip was a business "junket", one of those great benefits of owning a business and having suppliers who are keen to keep your custom. As a result this 8 day journey was largely paid for by a media supplier to my agency...airfares, accommodation and quite a few drinks.

While it was a week to let my hair down and relax a little, it was also an opportunity to observe another culture, explore and reflect on my life.

Thailand seems to display the extremes bewteen wealth and poverty very starkly. In Phuket beggars and street vendors spent their days attempting to extract money from wealthy tourists, while in Bangkok slum-like communities resided alongside towering skyscapers housing western tourist and the local elite. It was eye-opening to say the least.