Question Expectations That Don’t Support You
I am turning 40.
I know you came here for financial advice—but don’t skip this.
I’m turning 40 this month, and I feel so much more confident in the things that I’m doing, the things that we’re building at AFS, and in life in general. I’m celebrating because this body that God gave me has imperfectly led me through 40 years on earth. I don’t take any of that time for granted. I think many times we look at “40” and we see an age and a number. We say, “Oh, this is old” or “I’m aging.” But I take the opposite position. I like to say, “I have been here for 40 years!” And sometimes I wake up and my joints hurt a little bit more than they should, sure, but I’m just grateful that I am 40. I have wonderful children, and I’ve gotten to spend this time in an amazing manner.
I don’t adhere to a lot of normal expectations, like how most people view milestones and birthdays. I don’t feel panicked about turning another decade older. That’s also how I run my business. I question expectations and the “mainstream” perspective, and sometimes I decide I don’t want to adhere to them at all. I encourage you to do this too and watch how it transforms your business and its finances.
Be a Bit of a Rebel
Does everyone say you have to spend money to earn it?
Why? There are ways to earn money without spending your money or reinvesting your owner’s pay. There are times when it’s good to invest your money, but you want to choose wisely based on what’s best for YOU, not just what everyone else says.
Do they tell you to pay everything and everyone else before you pay yourself?
Getting your business set up and structured in a manner that pays you first protects you and your business from burnout.
Do you sense in the entrepreneur culture that you’re supposed to work 40–60 hours a week?
What if your ideal work/life balance is to clock only 30 hours a week? I’ve been stuck on this one before. I admit I’ve pulled 60-hr weeks before. But I’m a huge believer that your business should support your life, not the other way around. Your family, friends, passions, and hobbies matter too.
Do you feel pressure to accept every client and keep every employee, even if they’re not a good fit?
This is a hard one because every owner can feel desperate sometimes. But the truth is—the more aligned your business is, the easier it is to sustain.
And that’s what we’re all about here at AFS—creating a business that is profitable, sustainable, and supports your life instead of draining it. So when you feel like you “have to” do something, ask yourself, “Why? Why am I doing this? Am I doing this just because this is what everyone else is doing? Just because it’s all I know?”
Or am I doing this because it builds the business and the life I want?