My Monthly Input & Output - Boringly Comfortable

[RichieG]

We own our own business and are pretty comfortable:

Monthly Figures

After Tax 6,000
Monthly Expenses 2,000
Debt 500 ( 2 x cars on low interest loans )

Remainder 3,500
Net Worth 65,000

In the grand scheme I know these aren't great figures but on a day by day basis it is so easy just to think this is great. 3 holidays a year net worth building at 20k a year life's great.....but is it.

Deep down I want 10k a month, 15k a month but then I wake in the morning and there is a nagging feeling at the back of my head......we are comfortable.

Our business is set up on contracts so it would take time for our income to completely diminish so again this breeds a lazy mindset. It's like if we lose custom we will just build something else.

If anybody else has thought like this and has managed to escape this way of thinking it would be great to hear your thoughts.

- Do i need a dream list
- Have bigger targets
- Want more things
- Build security

Just a little lost

 

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[RazorCut]

I've been there. Business on auto. Staff running the business and me only doing a few hours on Monday morning and spending the rest of the time fishing. The easy life. Hell, when I think back all I think of is what a waste.

The trouble is it's really hard to get motivated when there is food on the table and you want for nothing. Hunger in one form or another is your friend.

So, despite the fact that all seems rosy, you have some deep rooted dissatisfaction. Why do you feel lost? Is it lack of a worthwhile goal? No direction? Are you just tired of the same old routine? How long have you been running your business? Is it just yours or your family? Is it a control thing? What is your thoughts?

What was the main motivating factor that drew you to come to this forum and what is at the root of this restlessness?

Once you have identified that we can help you figure out how to put it right.

 

[RichieG]

I've been there. Business on auto. Staff running the business and me only doing a few hours on Monday morning and spending the rest of the time fishing. The easy life. Hell, when I think back all I think of is what a waste.

The trouble is it's really hard to get motivated when there is food on the table and you want for nothing. Hunger in one form or another is your friend.

So, despite the fact that all seems rosy, you have some deep rooted dissatisfaction. Why do you feel lost? Is it lack of a worthwhile goal? No direction? Are you just tired of the same old routine? How long have you been running your business? Is it just yours or your family? Is it a control thing? What is your thoughts?

What was the main motivating factor that drew you to come to this forum and what is at the root of this restlessness?

Once you have identified that we can help you figure out how to put it right.

We have been running the business for 8 years part time and full time for 4 years ( me leaving my scripted job ). The business is pretty much on auto pilot apart from admin ( answering query emails, invoicing etc but even that could be set up so I don't have to do.

The business is just mine and my wife's.

We have 3 children ( 9,6 and 2 ) who are they are in education till 18 we live by good schools so for the next 16 years we are probably going to be pretty static. We live in a 400,000 4 bedroom house, drive 2 cars and go on 3 holidays a year. Eat organic food and aiming to be healthier and fitter every day. It feels like a middle class rut but why do we need to get out of it?

- better cars
- better holidays
- better clothes

What is the real impact of earning more money? or building on the existing or new business?

If we push now and get to 10-15k what do we do for the next 30 years?

I'm on a cruise at the moment and I see so many people doing the cruise glare and cruise stroll. No aim for there life - just aimlessly drifting through life.

I want more but why do I need more?

 

[RazorCut]

I want more but why do I need more?

The why is obvious. You feel unfulfilled. You need to find a purpose. It could be monetary sure, but as you say what do you need more money for?

Why do you think the likes of Bill Gates etc. spend time and money investing in other peoples futures? Because having money and living a comfortable life doesn't necessarily bring happiness. However they find changing other peoples lives for the better does.

You could just send a payment to a charity for the feel good factor but I don't think that would work. If you have no compulsion on expanding your business empire I think you need to either find a challenge locally or abroad. Something that will make a difference to others. Help build a new scout hut, help fund or refurbish a centre for the homeless. Help set up and run a soup kitchen. Invent some money in an African school or water project and go there as a volunteer to follow it through. There is no greater satisfaction than seeing the faces of the people your time and money has helped.

Only you know what will fill that empty feeling inside. I may be way off mark but philanthropy is a worthy goal for all of us.

 

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[RichieG]

The why is obvious. You feel unfulfilled. You need to find a purpose. It could be monetary sure, but as you say what do you need more money for?

Why do you think the likes of Bill Gates etc. spend time and money investing in other peoples futures? Because having money and living a comfortable life doesn't necessarily bring happiness. However they find changing other peoples lives for the better does.

You could just send a payment to a charity for the feel good factor but I don't think that would work. If you have no compulsion on expanding your business empire I think you need to either find a challenge locally or abroad. Something that will make a difference to others. Help build a new scout hut, help fund or refurbish a centre for the homeless. Help set up and run a soup kitchen. Invent some money in an African school or water project and go there as a volunteer to follow it through. There is no greater satisfaction than seeing the faces of the people your time and money has helped.

Only you know what will fill that empty feeling inside. I may be way off mark but philanthropy is a worthy goal for all of us.

The thing is we do want to build the business, have more money each month and enhance our lifestyle. It is the motivation. Deep down it's like do we really need to do this we have more money coming in then we need but may need more in the future.

It just feels like we want more but we are playing at it and questioning why we want more.

I understand the whole philanthropy thing but Billy G is worth billions, his children are grown up and his time is 100% his and he can can buy what ever he needs/wants and do whatever he wants. Education, cars, philanthropy, holiidays, build a new business etc

We have a small net worth, a relatively small monthly salary....................

I feel i'm answering my question here...........

You need to do more and aim higher so tomorrow brings more possibilities?

 

[RazorCut]

I feel i'm answering my question here...........

You need to do more and aim higher so tomorrow brings more possibilities?

See exploration is a wonderful thing.

And you don't need Bill Gates' money to make a difference. In fact you don't need any at all. But laying that aside. You are procrastinating (for want of a better word) at the moment because of your comfort level. This reminds me of a conversation with Arnold Schwarzenegger and another bodybuilder in the film Pumping Iron when Arnold was king of the hill.

Ken Waller "The wolf on the hill is not as hungry as the wolf climbing the hill"

Arnold "but when he wants the food it’s there".

"do more and aim higher" for what objective? That's the piece of the puzzle you need to find. You need a purpose, a worthy goal that both you and your wife identify with and can get excited about. Either that or you will wait until something within your business takes a turn for the worse and forces you to make changes. Then you will have wished you had done it sooner. (I know I did).

 

[StompingAcorns]

Maybe it's as simple as - your House is in order (comfortable life, good relationships, good routines, etc.), and now you are looking to create something, build something, or make your mark on the world. Seems like a perfectly natural progression to me. Maybe your next step is to figure out what Creation or Impact is meaningful to you, rather than focusing on doing Something purely for (more) money.

 

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