how many arguments!

[adbat234]

A very wise man once told me, Work to live not live to work

[gensetsteve]

A very wise man once told me, Work to live not live to work

 

Yes but was he paying £1.40 a litre for derv paying a mortgage and getting through a recession

[Rob D]

Good on you for the work ethic Simon - At the moment that is a tough thing you're doing - effectively 2 jobs at the same time.

 

 

But doing those sort of hours is not sustainable long term. Take a step back and assess your situation. Can you still see yourself being in this situation in 3 years time? 1 years time? What is your plan for the future?

 

 

 

[Taupotreeman]

I think you guys have got the wrong end of the stick here.

 

Simon is a balls out kind of guy who isn't afraid of hard work. He is building a tidy little tree outfit and he is doing it with whatever time he has left over from a full time job.

 

Sometimes it gets on top of you and it can wear on the family time but it will get better, give a little family time now and again to keep things on an even keel.

 

I know where you're coming from quip but I'm in the process of watching a friends marriage on the verge of collapse because he's now thinking of buying his third business venture while not realising the pressure he's putting his wife under. As long as you know when to back off and put in some quality family time it's all good 👍

 

 

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[Rob D]

A very wise man once told me, Work to live not live to work

 

 

The same wise man told me work smarter not harder.... but unfortunately he wasn't wise enough to give me the knowledge and details of how exactly to do this.

 

 

I recently took advice on my business and found I was doing a lot wrong... a lot right as well but a lot of things to change. Maybe I wasn't ready to listen before - too busy working - but now that I'm putting changes into place I can feel the weight lifting.

 

 

 

[Big J]

Sorry to hear that you are having difficulties Simon.

 

As others have said, you might well need to put your prices up. The first few years are always very tough, particularly in the transition from employment to self employment. I suspect that the time has come that you need to start whittling down your paid job. You'll never be able to make enough from your own business whilst still working for another.

 

Try to keep one day a week off except in exceptional circumstances. It will make a huge difference to your productivity - I like my days off for being able to do non work related stuff, but it also gives me renewed vigour for work when I come back.

 

Finally, try to articulate your goals with your missus, what it means for you both and what you are trying to achieve. Try to involve her as much as possible so that the venture is no longer that causes her to see less of you, but something that you are working together on for a shared goal.

 

My wife has always been very involved (she does all my books, thank God!), regularly grafts at the mill (was helping with Oak milling yesterday) and we do this because we want to set ourselves up as best as possible for the future.

 

Jonathan

[felixthelogchopper]

The same wise man told me work smarter not harder.... but unfortunately he wasn't wise enough to give me the knowledge and details of how exactly to do this.

 

 

I recently took advice on my business and found I was doing a lot wrong... a lot right as well but a lot of things to change. Maybe I wasn't ready to listen before - too busy working - but now that I'm putting changes into place I can feel the weight lifting.

 

 

 

 

You mean he was wise enough to keep it to himself so he didn't need to up his game to keep that one step ahead of everyone else.

[Dan Earp]

For now try taking 2 sundays a month and work towards having each sunday off bud.

I understand where your coming from as i do the same, sometimes i work the 7days but as hard as it for me to say no or not too book jobs in for the sunday. I realise that the time spent with my wife and little arbs far out ways time working.

 

I think its just the time alone and not being with you is your partners view, so when you say you'll help with the cleaning or cooking she'll argue as thats not the real problem.

 

Sit down at a restaurant pub etc in public, and talk about it. It'll hopefully stop you two from shouting etc and just listen and form a solution. Start off small like a wednesday evening off and a sunday off etcetc.

 

Work at both mate and hope you can sort it out. Both take a lot of work

 

Dan

[matthawh1966]

I think we have all worked the long hours, the problem now is every thing has gone up but not the wages or prices you charge clients, we have had loads of breakdowns all our kits getting old. Thats life Were all stressed out, cant see it getting much better anytime soon.

[easy-lift guy]

Simon, it is absolute critical that you make the time for yourself and girlfriend. When I first started work I could and would work 5/6 days year round. Brought up not to work on Sunday,although I could my customers had a great deal of respect for me choosing not to.

Time is the single greatest commodity that requires a lot of maintenance. How one balances time for work and everything else in life is one of the keys to healthy and successful life. Make the time, you will not regret the decision.

easy-lift guy