It is easy to get carried away with stuff. There is an underlying assumption in the US that the bigger something is, the better. Living in the UK for the past few years has shown me that bigger isn’t always better. In fact, over here, they often are suspicious of things that are too big. They prefer a much smaller and often more select group. Smaller can be better!
One of my clients couldn’t decide whether he should take his successful chiropractic practice to the next level. This would entail hiring more staff and getting bigger premises. If he did this, he’d become the biggest practice in his town. He wondered whether he should go back to being a two-doctor practice. Should he simplify and get rid of his big office and staff?
We took a look at what his ideal life was.
He reported that his favorite thing to do was to bike up to the mountain top and meditate or read. And he liked doing this with his son, as well. These are not terribly expensive activities. However, because he was so busy with managing all his staff, he had very little time to do this simple activity.
After considering his core values and passions, the decision was easy. He would go with the smaller office. As a result he had a lot more time to enjoy his favorite activity and to spend with his son. What surprised us both was that once he got rid of all that overhead, his business was more profitable, not less — an unexpected benefit! Proof that bigger isn’t always better.
When you are true to yourself and do what you truly love, you’ll have a richer life. More often than not, you’ll find you don’t miss the money when you are truly happy. Or maybe you actually end up with more money because you start attracting better people and opportunities to you. You can’t go wrong when you follow your values.
P.S. If you feel pulled in too many directions at once, it helps to know what your core values are so you know where to focus your time and energy. If you are unhappy with your career or job you might find it helpful to learn about your core values and natural abilities. Learn more about The Career Change Kit here.
